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
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of public
First recorded in 1400–50; from Latin pūblicus, earlier pōblicus, pōplicus (spelling influenced by pūbēs “adulthood”; see pubes), ultimately from popul(us) people + -icus -ic; replacing late Middle English publique, from Middle French, from Latin, as above
Explanation
Something that affects the entire community — whether it's your town, your country, or the world — is public. Climate change, for example, is a public concern, as is finding a clean public bathroom. You can use the word public as a noun, when you're talking about a large group of people. You might say that the public is getting tired of the inefficient bus system in your city, or that the new library branch is open to the public. The adjective public is good for discussing things that concern everyone. The Latin root word, publicus, means "of the people, of the state, common, or ordinary."
Vocabulary lists containing public
"Seeking Freedom"
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Selection Vocabulary 1, Unit 2
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"CLEP Financial Accounting," Vocabulary from Chapter 5
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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.
Finance, technology and government leaders had expressed concerns about its public rollout, following a private release in April for previewing and testing vulnerabilities within its own system.
From BBC • Jun. 13, 2026
In addition to the costs of removing the name, the board argued that it would hurt fundraising efforts and confuse the public, especially if the appeals court ultimately reversed Cooper’s decision.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 13, 2026
“They didn’t know how the public would react to someone who looked so different from people who were typically on TV in 1967.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 13, 2026
Anthropic has suspended its powerful new AI model after US authorities raised security concerns just days following its public release.
From BBC • Jun. 13, 2026
“In the shower. Along with the radio. To my rubber duckies. Not out loud, not in public, not for other people. Someday, if I get ambitious, I might try the tambourine.”
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
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.
