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 is releasing a next-generation “Mythos-class” model to the general public with guardrails that remove dangerous capabilities related to areas such as cybersecurity and biological research.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

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

From Salon • Jun. 7, 2026

Six EV charging points are located in an upper car park not accessible to the general public.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

Recent surveys by Margaret Poloma, a historian at the University of Akron in Ohio, found Assemblies members more educated and better off than the general public.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

Related Words

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