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publicness

[ puhb-lik-nis ]
/ ˈpʌb lɪk nɪs /
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noun
the quality or state of being public or being owned by the public.
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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.
His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.
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Origin of publicness

First recorded in 1595–1605; public + -ness

Words nearby publicness

public-liability insurance, public library, public life, public limited company, publicly, publicness, public nuisance, público, public offering, public officer, public opinion
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use publicness in a sentence

  • And flitting uniquely through it all was this man whose privacy was so public, whose publicness was so unutterably private.

    The Tower of Oblivion|Oliver Onions

  • It is not the mere publicness of the teaching, which must tell us what is unlawful for a layman.

    A Christian Directory|Baxter Richard

  • Were not his objections as to the publicness of the place, I asked him, as strong now as before?

    Clarissa, Volume 3 (of 9)|Samuel Richardson

  • There was a formality and publicness about it that kind of weakened my nerve.

    Options|O. Henry
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