public enemy

American  

noun

1. a person or thing considered a danger or menace to the public, especially a wanted criminal widely sought by the F.B.I. and local police forces.

2. a nation or government with which one's own is at war.

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public enemy British  

noun

1. a notorious person, such as a criminal, who is regarded as a menace to the public

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Etymology

Origin of public enemy

First recorded in 1750–60

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

public enemy

To the religious authorities in England in the early 16th century, an obdurate Oxford scholar became a public enemy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 26, 2026

He wants to leave everything to me, but not tell his children, which would make me public enemy No. 1.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 16, 2026

There are more than 1,400 pests and diseases on the government's plant health risk register, but Ips has been labelled "public enemy number one".

From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2025

Shortly after, Rubalcava’s then-boss, Assemblymember Avelino Valencia, told her something Briceño had allegedly said to him: “Natalie is public enemy No. 1, and I will stop at nothing until she’s recalled and politically ruined forever.”

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2024

One of those dots is the mother of public enemy number one, I think when I hear a faint wailing behind me.

From "Al Capone Does My Shirts" by Gennifer Choldenko