public
Americanadjective
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of, relating to, or affecting a population or a community as a whole.
public funds;
a public nuisance.
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done, made, acting, etc., for the community as a whole.
public prosecution.
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open to all persons.
a public meeting.
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of, relating to, or being in the service of a community or nation, especially as a government officer.
a public official.
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maintained at the public expense and under public control.
a public library;
a public road.
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generally known.
The fact became public.
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familiar to the public; prominent.
public figures.
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open to the view of all; existing or conducted in public.
a public dispute.
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pertaining or devoted to the welfare or well-being of the community.
public spirit.
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of or relating to all humankind; universal.
noun
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the people constituting a community, state, or nation.
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a particular group of people with a common interest, aim, etc..
the book-buying public.
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British Informal. a tavern; public house.
idioms
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in public, not in private; in a situation open to public view or access; publicly.
It was the first time that she had sung in public.
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go public,
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to issue stock for sale to the general public.
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to present private or previously concealed information, news, etc., to the public; make matters open to public view.
The senator threatened to go public with his congressional-reform plan.
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make public, to cause to become known generally, as through the news media.
Her resignation was made public this morning.
adjective
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of, relating to, or concerning the people as a whole
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open or accessible to all
public gardens
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performed or made openly or in the view of all
public proclamation
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(prenominal) well-known or familiar to people in general
a public figure
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(usually prenominal) maintained at the expense of, serving, or for the use of a community
a public library
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open, acknowledged, or notorious
a public scandal
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(of a private company) to issue shares for subscription by the public
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to reveal publicly hitherto confidential information
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noun
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the community or people in general
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a part or section of the community grouped because of a common interest, activity, etc
the racing public
Usage
What does public mean? Public is the people who make up a community, state, or nation, as in When a government raises taxes, the public has a right to know. A single person in this context is a member of the public.Related to that, public is used to describe many things connected to the public, such as something related to it (public funds), providing a benefit to it (public school), or providing a service (public official).Public can also describe something that is open or available to everyone, such as a public event or public information.And public can describe something or someone known by the public. A celebrity is someone well known by very many people, so they are sometimes called public figures.Example: Schools funded by the public are generally open to all students in the area.
Other Word Forms
- nonpublic adjective
- quasi-public adjective
- quasi-publicly adverb
- unpublic adjective
- unpublicly adverb
Etymology
Origin of public
First recorded in 1400–50; from Latin pūblicus, earlier pōblicus, pōplicus (spelling influenced by pūbēs “adulthood”; pubes ), ultimately from popul(us) people + -icus -ic; replacing late Middle English publique, from Middle French, from Latin, as above
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Attorneys for the GOP also tried to prove racial intent by focusing on public comments made by Paul Mitchell, the redistricting expert who drew up the new California map for the California Legislature.
From Los Angeles Times
But with his age, and long-term future at Liverpool unclear after a public outburst at Elland Road last month, it could be the last time Salah features in the competition as a Premier League talisman.
From BBC
"The seriousness of the facts found proven and associated ongoing risk to public protection mean the effect of Dr Munaf continuing to hold registration would undermine public confidence in the profession," she said.
From BBC
In October 2025, a group made up of local officials, including the police and council, and tasked with making decisions about security at public events, decided the game was high-risk and banned away fans.
From BBC
They said planning around the football match was about "public safety of all communities".
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
