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Synonyms

publicly

American  
[puhb-lik-lee] / ˈpʌb lɪk li /

adverb

  1. in a public or open manner or place.

  2. by the public.

  3. in the name of the community.

  4. by public action or consent.

publicly British  
/ ˈpʌblɪklɪ /

adverb

  1. in a public manner; without concealment; openly

  2. in the name or with the consent of the public

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of publicly

First recorded in 1925–30; public + -ly

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.

"To show people that if they take action and publicly voice their opposition, they actually stand a chance" of winning.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

Pakistan publicly thanked the U.S. for its role.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

She did not post the terms of the deal, and they have yet to be reported publicly.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

The First Lady, Melania Trump, felt it necessary to publicly deny any connection to Epstein, also calling for victims to be able to testify to Congress.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

—Fortune Kether: an artist—renowned publicly for his frescoes and privately for the catapults and siege engines he designed for skirmishing kings.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

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.