John Q. Public

American  

noun

1. the average or typical U.S. citizen.

   an entertainment aimed at Mr. and Mrs. John Q. Public.

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John Q. Public Idioms  

1. see under John Doe.

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Etymology

Origin of John Q. Public

An Americanism dating back to 1935–40

Example Sentences

It’s one thing to have John Q. Public, who reads and watches certain news outlets where you’ve appeared, mistake you for someone else.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025

Before Didion and Dunne learned to play the Hollywood game, the fledgling screenwriters made the rookie mistake of optioning books that they found interesting — not John Q. Public.

From New York Times • Dec. 24, 2021

But to Jane and John Q. Public, to many of those outside the often confusing and impenetrable, opaque ring of the legal or criminal justice system, it’s merely code for “scram.”

From Washington Times • Jul. 15, 2020

They know as much as John Q. Public and a free society, you can allow this comment to be made, and as a citizen you can absorb it or dismiss it—it’s that simple.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2017

And because Mister John Q. Public contacts these ne'er-do-wells and romancers, he forms wrong estimates of the business.

From David Lannarck, Midget An Adventure Story by Harney, George S.