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

See Examples For:

general public

Colleagues paid tribute to a "pioneer, a researcher, an inventor" who made "anatomy accessible to the general public", but critics have accused him of voyeurism and profiting commercially from death.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

"The approved measures will enable researchers, civil society and the general public to gain more transparency into X’s systems and the impact on users," he added.

From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026

I’m among the first civilians from the general public on the Naval Academy’s Yard since March.

From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026

Still, the growth that does exist is raising concerns among utility ratepayer advocates and environmentalists, not to mention the general public.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 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