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Showing results for general public. Search instead for the-general-public.
Synonyms

general public

American  
[jen-er-uhl puhb-lik] / ˈdʒɛn ər əl ˈpʌb lɪk /
Also the general public

noun

  1. all or most people, especially those not part of a specified group; ordinary people as opposed to officials, experts, politicians, etc..

    The books have been warmly received by critics and by the general public.

    This protocol can be adopted by any organization wishing to improve workplace health and safety for employees, customers, and the general public.

Etymology

Origin of general public

First recorded in 1845–50

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.

A Stanford A.I. index study released this week did the useful work of quantifying just how big a gap there is in sentiment toward A.I. between the people working on it and the general public.

From Slate • Apr. 14, 2026

Members of the general public ask for them, including for their children, and doctors happily oblige, says Mir.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

Coachella 2009 marked the final year the general public could buy single-day tickets to the festival.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

“Under our precedents, a company is not liable as a copyright infringer for merely providing a service to the general public with knowledge that it will be used by some to infringe copyrights,” Thomas wrote.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

In Gey’s one appearance on television, he didn’t mention Henrietta or her cells by name, so the general public knew nothing of HeLa.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

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.