public figure

American  

[puhb-lik fig-yer] / ˈpʌb lɪk ˈfɪg yər /

noun

1. a person who is widely known; celebrity.

   The journalist talked about the often troubled relationship between public figures and the news media.

   Famous athletes, actors, and other public figures have championed the issue.

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Example Sentences

The law prohibits the department from withholding or redacting files because they could be embarrassing to public figures.

From The Wall Street Journal

It was only when the World Cup rolled into Qatar that he started to become a more public figure.

From BBC

Would you place a bet on whether a public figure will say a specific word?

From The Wall Street Journal

When it comes to public figures, there are clearly good reasons to stick pretty close to a verbatim transcript of what they really said.

From Salon

Shortly after his death was announced, politicians and other public figures took to social media to mourn the loss of Jackson.

From BBC

Related Words

• someone
• whoever