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pub·lic

(pŭb′lĭk)

adj.

1. Of, concerning, or affecting the community or the people: the public good.

2. Maintained for or used by the people or community: a public park.

3. Capitalized in shares of stock that can be traded on the open market: a public company; took the company public.

4. Participated in or attended by the people or community: "Opinions are formed in a process of open discussion and public debate" (Hannah Arendt).

5. Connected with or acting on behalf of the people, community, or government: public office.

6. Enrolled in or attending a public school: transit passes for public students.

7. Open to the knowledge or judgment of all: a public scandal.

1. The community or the people as a whole.

2. A group of people sharing a common interest: the reading public.

3. Admirers or followers, especially of a famous person. See Usage Note at collective noun.

Idioms:

go public with Informal

To reveal to the public a previously unknown or secret piece of information: The president finally had to go public with the scandal.

in public

In such a way as to be visible to the scrutiny of the people: "A career is born in public—talent in privacy" (Marilyn Monroe).

[Middle English publik, from Old French public, from Latin pūblicus, alteration (influenced by pūbēs, adult population) of poplicus, from populus, people, of Etruscan origin.]

pub′lic·ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

public

(ˈpʌblɪk)

adj

1. (Sociology) of, relating to, or concerning the people as a whole

2. open or accessible to all: public gardens.

3. performed or made openly or in the view of all: public proclamation.

4. (prenominal) well-known or familiar to people in general: a public figure.

5. (usually prenominal) maintained at the expense of, serving, or for the use of a community: a public library.

6. open, acknowledged, or notorious: a public scandal.

7. (Stock Exchange) go public

a. (of a private company) to issue shares for subscription by the public

b. to reveal publicly hitherto confidential information

8. (of a private company) to issue shares for subscription by the public

9. (Sociology) the community or people in general

10. (Sociology) a part or section of the community grouped because of a common interest, activity, etc: the racing public.

[C15: from Latin pūblicus, changed from pōplicus of the people, from populus people]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

pub•lic

(ˈpʌb lɪk)

adj.

1. of, pertaining to, or affecting a population or a community as a whole: a public nuisance.

2. done, made, acting, etc., for the community as a whole: public prosecution.

3. open to all persons: a public meeting.

4. of, pertaining to, or being in the service of a community or nation: a public official.

5. maintained at the public expense and under public control: a public library.

6. generally known: The fact became public.

7. familiar to the public; prominent: public figures.

8. open to the view of all; existing or conducted in public: a public dispute.

9. pertaining or devoted to the welfare or well-being of the community: public spirit.

10. of or pertaining to all humankind; universal.

11. the people constituting a community, state, or nation.

12. a particular group of people with a common interest, aim, etc.: the book-buying public.

Idioms:

1. go public,

a. to issue stock for sale to the general public.

b. to present previously concealed information to the public.

2. in public, in a situation open to public notice, view, or access; publicly: to quarrel in public.

3. make public, to cause to become known generally, as through the news media.

[1400–50; late Middle English publique (< Middle French) < Latin pūblicus]

pub′lic•ness, n.

Public

the community; the people, 1611.

public

You can refer to people in general as the public. In British English, after the public you can use either a singular or plural form of a verb.

I think that the public has learnt that we have to wait for news.

The public are entitled to know what happened.

In American English, a singular verb form is preferred.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	public - people in general considered as a whole; "he is a hero in the eyes of the public" populace, world people - (plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively; "old people"; "there were at least 200 people in the audience" admass - the segment of the public that is easily influenced by mass media (chiefly British) audience - the part of the general public interested in a source of information or entertainment; "every artist needs an audience"; "the broadcast reached an audience of millions"
	2.	public - a body of people sharing some common interest; "the reading public" body - a group of persons associated by some common tie or occupation and regarded as an entity; "the whole body filed out of the auditorium"; "the student body"; "administrative body"
Adj.	1.	public - not private; open to or concerning the people as a whole; "the public good"; "public libraries"; "public funds"; "public parks"; "a public scandal"; "public gardens"; "performers and members of royal families are public figures" exoteric - suitable for the general public; "writings of an exoteric nature" overt, open - open and observable; not secret or hidden; "an overt lie"; "overt hostility"; "overt intelligence gathering"; "open ballots" private - confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy; "a private place"; "private discussions"; "private lessons"; "a private club"; "a private secretary"; "private property"; "the former President is now a private citizen"; "public figures struggle to maintain a private life"
	2.	public - affecting the people or community as a whole; "community leaders"; "community interests"; "the public welfare" common - belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public; "for the common good"; "common lands are set aside for use by all members of a community"

public

noun

1. people, society, country, population, masses, community, nation, everyone, citizens, voters, electorate, multitude, populace, hoi polloi, Joe Public (slang), Joe Six-Pack (U.S. slang), commonalty The poll is a test of the public's confidence in the government.

2. clientele, fans, supporters, following, followers, audience, buyers, patrons She won't do anything that makes her look bad to her public.

adjective

1. civic, government, state, national, local, official, community, social, federal, civil, constitutional, municipal a substantial part of public spending

2. general, popular, national, shared, common, widespread, universal, collective Parliament's decision was in line with public opinion.

3. open, community, accessible, communal, open to the public, unrestricted, free to all, not private a public library
open private, closed, personal, exclusive, restricted, unavailable, inaccessible

4. well-known, leading, important, respected, famous, celebrated, recognized, distinguished, prominent, influential, notable, renowned, eminent, famed, noteworthy, in the public eye He hit out at public figures who commit adultery.

5. known, published, exposed, open, obvious, acknowledged, recognized, plain, patent, notorious, overt, in circulation She was reluctant to make her views public.
known secret, hidden, unknown, secluded, unrevealed

in public openly, publicly, overtly, for all to see, in full view, coram populo (Latin) by-laws to make it illegal to smoke in public

Quotations
"You have to look very carefully at your motives if you become a public figure" [Harold Pinter One for the Road]

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

public

adjective

1. Of, concerning, or affecting the community or the people:

civic, civil, national.

2. Belonging to, shared by, or applicable to all alike:

common, communal, conjoint, general, joint, mutual.

3. Of, representing, or carried on by people at large:

democratic, general, popular.

4. Not restricted or confined to few:

open, open-door, unrestricted.

noun

1. The common people:

common (used in plural), commonality, commonalty, commoner (used in plural), crowd, hoi polloi, mass (used in plural), mob, pleb (used in plural), plebeian (used in plural), populace, ruck, third estate.

2. Persons as an organized body:

community, people, society.

3. The body of persons who admire a public personality, especially an entertainer:

audience, following.

Translations

Spanish / Español

Select a language:

público

public

[ˈpʌblɪk]

A. ADJ

1. (= of the State) → público
they can hire expensive lawyers at public expense → pueden contratar abogados caros a costa de los contribuyentes
to run for/hold public office → presentarse como candidato a/ostentar un cargo público
the public purse → el erario público

2. (= of, for, by everyone) → público
they want to deflect public attention from the real issues → quieren desviar la opinión pública de los verdaderos problemas
to be in the public eye → ser objeto del interés público
he has kept his family out of the public eye → ha mantenido a su familia alejada de la atención pública
I have decided to resign in the public interest → en el interés de los ciudadanos, he decidido dimitir
in a bid to gain public support → en un intento de hacerse con el apoyo de la gente
public enemy number one → enemigo m público número uno

3. (= open, not private) [statement, meeting] → público; [appearance] → en público
it's too public here → aquí estamos demasiado expuestos al público, aquí no tenemos intimidad
can we talk somewhere less public? → ¿podemos hablar en algún sitio más privado or menos expuesto al público?
to become public [news, fact] → hacerse público
to be in the public domain (= not secret) → ser de dominio público
to go public (Comm) → empezar a cotizar en bolsa
they decided to go public about their relationship → decidieron revelar su relación a la prensa or al público
it is public knowledge → ya es de dominio público
to retire from public life → retirarse de la vida pública
to lead an active public life → llevar una vida pública activa
to make sth public → hacer público algo, publicar algo

4. (= well-known) a public figure → un personaje público

B. N

1. (= people) the public → el público
the house is open to the public → la casa está abierta al público
the general public → el gran público
a member of the public → un ciudadano

2. (= open place) in public → en público

3. (= devotees) → público m
she couldn't disappoint her public → no podía decepcionar a su público
the reading/sporting public → los aficionados a la lectura/al deporte
the viewing public → los telespectadores

C. CPD public access television N (US) televisión abierta al público
public address system N → (sistema m de) megafonía f, altavoces mpl, altoparlantes mpl (LAm)
public affairs NPL → actividades fpl públicas
public assistance N (US) → asistencia f pública
to be on public assistance → recibir asistencia pública
public bar N → bar m
public body N → organismo m público
public company N → empresa f pública
public convenience N (Brit) (frm) → servicios mpl, aseos mpl públicos
public debt N → deuda f pública, deuda f del Estado
public defender N (US) → defensor(a) m/f de oficio
public enquiry N (Brit) = public inquiry public expenditure N → gasto m (del sector) público
public health N → salud f pública, sanidad f pública
public health inspector N → inspector/a m/f de salud or sanidad pública
Public Health Service N (US) → Seguridad f Social servicio público de asistencia sanitaria
public holiday N → fiesta f nacional, fiesta f oficial, (día m) feriado m (LAm)
public house N (Brit) (frm) → bar m
public inquiry N → investigación f oficial
public law N (= discipline, body of legislation) → derecho m público (US) (= piece of legislation) → ley f pública
public library N → biblioteca f pública
public limited company N → sociedad f anónima
public nuisance N (Jur) → molestia f pública
he's a public nuisance → siempre está causando problemas or molestias
to cause a public nuisance → alterar el orden público
public opinion N → opinión f pública
public opinion poll N → sondeo m (de la opinión pública)
public property N (= land, buildings) → dominio m público (fig) he couldn't handle being public property → no podía soportar ser un personaje público
his private life is public property → su vida privada es de dominio público
public prosecutor N → fiscal mf
the Public Prosecutor's Office → la fiscalía ATTORNEY Public Record Office N (Brit) → archivo m nacional
public relations NPL → relaciones fpl públicas
the police action was a public relations disaster → la actuación de la policía fue desastrosa para su imagen
it's just a public relations exercise → es sólo una operación publicitaria or de relaciones públicas
public relations officer N → encargado/a m/f de relaciones públicas
public school N (Brit) → colegio m privado; (= boarding school) → internado m privado (US) → escuela f pública
the public sector N → el sector público
60,000 public-sector jobs must be cut → se deben eliminar 60.000 puestos de funcionario or en el sector público
public servant N → funcionario/a m/f
public service N (= Civil Service) → administración f pública; (usu pl) (= community facility) → servicio m público
she will be remembered for a lifetime of public service → se la recordará por cómo entregó su vida al servicio de la comunidad
in doing this they were performing a public service → con esto estaban haciendo un servicio a la comunidad
public service announcement → comunicado m de interés público
public service jobs → puestos mpl de funcionario or en el sector público
public service vehicle → vehículo m de servicio público
public service worker → funcionario/a m/f
public speaker N → orador(a) m/f
she is a good public speaker → habla muy bien en público, es una buena oradora
public speaking N → oratoria f
public spending N → gasto m (del sector) público
public television N (US) → cadenas fpl públicas (de televisión)
public transport, public transportation (US) N → transporte(s) m(pl) público(s)
to ban smoking on public transport → prohibir fumar en los medios de transporte público
public utility N → empresa f del servicio público
public works NPL → obras fpl públicas

PUBLIC ACCESS TELEVISION

En Estados Unidos, el término Public Access Television hace referencia a una serie de cadenas no comerciales de televisión por cable que emiten programas de ámbito local o programas dedicados a organizaciones humanitarias sin ánimo de lucro. Entre sus emisiones se incluyen charlas sobre actividades escolares, programas sobre aficiones diversas e incluso discursos de organizaciones racistas. Estas emisiones de acceso público se crearon para dar cabida a temas de interés local e impedir que los canales por cable estuvieran dominados por unos cuantos privilegiados. En virtud de la Ley de Emisiones por Cable, el Cable Act de 1984, cualquier población en que haya algún canal por cable puede obligar a los propietarios de dicho canal a que instalen una cadena adicional de acceso público y provean el equipo, el estudio, los medios técnicos y el personal necesarios para la emisión.

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

public

(ˈpablik) adjective

of, for, or concerning, the people (of a community or nation) in general. a public library; a public meeting; Public opinion turned against him; The public announcements are on the back page of the newspaper; This information should be made public and not kept secret any longer.público

ˈpublicly adverb

públicamente

puˈblicity (-ˈblisə-) noun

1. advertising. There is a lot of publicity about the dangers of smoking.publicidad, anuncios

2. the state of being widely known. Film stars usually like publicity.publicidad

ˈpublicize, ˈpublicise (-saiz) verb

to make widely known; to advertise. We are publicizing a new product.hacer publicidad

public holiday

a day on which all (or most) shops, offices and factories are closed for a holiday. fiesta nacional

public house (usually abbreviated to pub (pab) )

a house where alcoholic drinks are sold to the public. bar, pub

public relations (also PR)

the attitude, understanding etc between a firm, government etc and the public. relaciones públicas

ˌpublic ˈservice anˌnouncement noun

(especially American) an announcement on television or radio given as a service to the public. anuncio de utilidad pública

public spirit

a desire to do things for the good of the community. civismo

ˌpublic-ˈspirited adjective

de espíritu/carácter cívico, de buen ciudadano

public transport

the bus, tram and train services provided by a state or community for the public. transporte público

in public

in front of other people, not in private. They are always quarrelling in public. en público

the public

people in general. This swimming pool is open to the public every day. el público

public opinion poll

a way of finding out public opinion by questioning a certain number of people. encuesta/sondeo de opinión pública

the public is singular: The public is entitled to know the facts .

public

→ público

public

a. público-a.

public

adj público

References in classic literature ?

Socialism, Communism, or whatever one chooses to call it, by converting private property into public wealth, and substituting co-operation for competition, will restore society to its proper condition of a thoroughly healthy organism, and insure the material well-being of each member of the community.

View in context

From a deficiency in this particular, one of two evils must ensue; either the people must be subjected to continual plunder, as a substitute for a more eligible mode of supplying the public wants, or the government must sink into a fatal atrophy, and, in a short course of time, perish.

View in context

The instability, injustice, and confusion introduced into the public councils, have, in truth, been the mortal diseases under which popular governments have everywhere perished; as they continue to be the favorite and fruitful topics from which the adversaries to liberty derive their most specious declamations.

View in context

But again: this class, together with that last one I have named, the miserable aristocracy spawned of a false republic, lift up their voices and exclaim 'Public opinion is all-sufficient to prevent such cruelty as you denounce.' Public opinion!

View in context

Of course Shelley's mind was full of the sanctity of the moment, and indignant that "the hour for which the years did sigh" should thus be broken in upon by vulgar revelry; but while we may sympathise with his view, and admit to the full the sacredness, not to say the solemnity, of the marriage ceremony, yet it is to be hoped that it still retains a naturally mirthful side, of which such public merriment is but the crude expression.

View in context

There had been, he admitted, a trivial blemish or so in its rate of progress, but this was exaggerated and had been entirely owing to the "parsimony of the public," which guilty public, it appeared, had been until lately bent in the most determined manner on by no means enlarging the number of Chancery judges appointed--I believe by Richard the Second, but any other king will do as well.

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No public business of any kind could possibly be done at any time without the acquiescence of the Circumlocution Office.

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Every one also has a vote in their public assembly; but this has only the power of confirming what has already passed the council and the kosmoi .

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Konstantin Levin regarded his brother as a man of immense intellect and culture, as generous in the highest sense of the word, and possessed of a special faculty for working for the public good.

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My gifted relative has made her first appearance in public, and has laid the foundation of our future fortunes.

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I have already stated, among the other branches of human attainment which I acquired at the public school, that I learned to draw caricatures of the masters who were so obliging as to educate me.

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The second suggested a public procession, headed by the Wampog himself, bearing the Holy Poker on a cushion of cloth-of-brass.

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