general public

American  

[jen-er-uhl puhb-lik] / ˈdʒɛn ər əl ˈpʌb lɪk /

Also the general public

noun

1. all or most people, especially those not part of a specified group; ordinary people as opposed to officials, experts, politicians, etc..

   The books have been warmly received by critics and by the general public.

   This protocol can be adopted by any organization wishing to improve workplace health and safety for employees, customers, and the general public.

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Etymology

Origin of general public

First recorded in 1845–50

Example Sentences

The sport gained popularity throughout the early 2010s largely thanks to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which quickly eclipsed other promotions until, for the general public, UFC and MMA became synonymous.

From Slate • Jun. 14, 2026

Anthropic released Fable, a next-generation “Mythos-class” model to the general public with guardrails that remove dangerous capabilities earlier this week.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 13, 2026

Rep. Christian Menefee, argued that blockchain technology can increase trust and transparency among the general public.

From Salon • Jun. 7, 2026

Tickets go on sale to the general public June 12.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026

The general public seems to imagine that our prisons are filled with “rapists and murderers,” but they actually account for a small minority of our nation’s prison population.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Related Words

• association
• center
• company
• district
• nation
• neighborhood
• people
• public
• society
• state