'Public' definitions:
Definition of 'public'
(from WordNet)
adjective
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" [ant: private]
adjective
Affecting the people or community as a whole; "community leaders"; "community interests"; "the public welfare"
noun
People in general considered as a whole; "he is a hero in the eyes of the public" [syn: populace, public, world]
noun
A body of people sharing some common interest; "the reading public"
Definition of 'Public'
From: GCIDE
- Public \Pub"lic\, a. [L. publicus, poblicus, fr. populus people: cf. F. public. See People.]
- 1. Of or pertaining to the people; belonging to the people; relating to, or affecting, a nation, state, or community; -- opposed to private; as, the public treasury. [1913 Webster]
- To the public good Private respects must yield. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
- He [Alexander Hamilton] touched the dead corpse of the public credit, and it sprung upon its feet. --D. Webster. [1913 Webster]
- 2. Open to the knowledge or view of all; general; common; notorious; as, public report; public scandal. [1913 Webster]
- Joseph, . . . not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. --Matt. i. 19. [1913 Webster]
- 3. Open to common or general use; as, a public road; a public house. "The public street." --Shak. [1913 Webster]
- public act or public statute (Law), an act or statute affecting matters of public concern. Of such statutes the courts take judicial notice.
- Public credit. See under Credit.
- Public funds. See Fund, 3.
- Public house, an inn, or house of entertainment.
- Public law. (a) See International law, under International. (b) A public act or statute.
- Public nuisance. (Law) See under Nuisance.
- Public orator. (Eng. Universities) See Orator, 3.
- Public stores, military and naval stores, equipments, etc.
- Public works, all fixed works built by civil engineers for public use, as railways, docks, canals, etc.; but strictly, military and civil engineering works constructed at the public cost. [1913 Webster]
Definition of 'Public'
From: GCIDE
- Public \Pub"lic\, n.
- 1. The general body of mankind, or of a nation, state, or community; the people, indefinitely; as, the American public; also, a particular body or aggregation of people; as, an author's public. [1913 Webster]
- The public is more disposed to censure than to praise. --Addison. [1913 Webster]
- 2. A public house; an inn. [Scot.] --Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster]
- In public, openly; before an audience or the people at large; not in private or secrecy. "We are to speak in public." --Shak. [1913 Webster]
Synonyms of 'public'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- accessible,
- acknowledged,
- adherent,
- admitted,
- affirmed,
- alehouse,
- announced,
- apparent,
- appendage,
- associated,
- attendant,
- audience,
- available,
- Babbittish,
- bar,
- barrel house,
- barroom,
- beer garden,
- beer parlor,
- bistro,
- blatant,
- blind tiger,
- boardinghouse,
- body politic,
- bourgeois,
- bourgeoisie,
- broadcast,
- brought to notice,
- buff,
- business,
- buyers,
- cabaret,
- cafe,
- campy,
- carriage trade,
- catholic,
- cavaliere servente,
- celebrated,
- circulated,
- citizenry,
- citizens,
- civic,
- civil,
- clear,
- clear-cut,
- clientage,
- clientele,
- cocktail lounge,
- collective,
- collectivistic,
- common,
- common knowledge,
- common man,
- common property,
- commonalty,
- commonly known,
- commonplace,
- commonwealth,
- communal,
- communistic,
- community,
- community at large,
- commutual,
- conjoint,
- conjunct,
- conspicuous,
- constituency,
- consumers,
- cooperative,
- cortical,
- cosmopolitan,
- courtier,
- cultural community,
- current,
- custom,
- dangler,
- declared,
- demos,
- dependent,
- diffused,
- disciple,
- disreputable,
- disseminated,
- distributed,
- dive,
- dorm,
- dormitory,
- doss house,
- dramshop,
- drinking saloon,
- dwellers,
- eminent,
- epidermic,
- estate,
- everybody,
- everyman,
- Everyman,
- everyone,
- everywoman,
- exomorphic,
- exposed,
- exterior,
- external,
- extrinsic,
- familiar,
- famous,
- fan,
- flagrant,
- fleabag,
- flophouse,
- flunky,
- folk,
- folks,
- follower,
- followers,
- following,
- free,
- fringe,
- general,
- general public,
- gentry,
- gin mill,
- government,
- governmental,
- groggery,
- grogshop,
- guest house,
- habitancy,
- hackneyed,
- hanger-on,
- henchman,
- high-camp,
- hoi polloi,
- homely,
- homespun,
- homme de cour,
- honky-tonk,
- hospice,
- hostel,
- hostelry,
- hotel,
- household,
- illustrious,
- in circulation,
- in common,
- in print,
- in public,
- in the open,
- infamous,
- influential,
- inhabitants,
- inn,
- international,
- John Doe,
- joint,
- kitschy,
- known,
- linguistic community,
- local,
- lodging house,
- low-camp,
- made public,
- make public,
- manifest,
- market,
- masses,
- men,
- middle class,
- multitude,
- municipal,
- mutual,
- nation,
- national,
- nationality,
- nightclub,
- notable,
- noted,
- notorious,
- obvious,
- open,
- openly,
- ordinary,
- out,
- outer,
- outermost,
- outlying,
- outmost,
- outside,
- outstanding,
- outward,
- outward-facing,
- overt,
- parasite,
- partisan,
- patent,
- patronage,
- pension,
- people,
- people at large,
- people in general,
- peripheral,
- persons,
- Philistine,
- plain,
- platitudinous,
- plebeian,
- plebeians,
- polity,
- pop,
- populace,
- popular,
- population,
- portion,
- posada,
- pothouse,
- proclaimed,
- projected,
- proletariat,
- prominent,
- propagated,
- proverbial,
- pub,
- Public,
- public house,
- publicly,
- publish,
- published,
- purchasing public,
- pursuer,
- pursuivant,
- rank and file,
- rathskeller,
- reciprocal,
- renowned,
- reported,
- roadhouse,
- rooming house,
- roundabout,
- rumshop,
- rural market,
- saloon,
- saloon bar,
- satellite,
- sectary,
- sector,
- seeming,
- segment,
- shadow,
- shared,
- social,
- socialistic,
- societal,
- society,
- speakeasy,
- special-interest group,
- speech community,
- spread,
- state,
- stated,
- stooge,
- suburban market,
- successor,
- suite,
- superficial,
- supporter,
- supranational,
- surface,
- tagtail,
- tail,
- talked-about,
- talked-of,
- taproom,
- tavern,
- telecast,
- televised,
- the citizenry,
- the general public,
- the people,
- the populace,
- the population,
- the public,
- third estate,
- trade,
- trainbearer,
- trite,
- truistic,
- unconcealed,
- universal,
- universally admitted,
- universally recognized,
- unrestricted,
- unshrouded,
- urban,
- vernacular,
- viewable,
- visible,
- votary,
- ward heeler,
- well-kenned,
- well-known,
- well-recognized,
- well-understood,
- whole people,
- widely known,
- widespread,
- wine shop,
- world,
- worldwide,
- you and me,
- youth market
Words containing 'Public'
- In public,
- Publication,
- Publication of a will,
- Publicity,
- Publicly,
- Publicness,
- publically,
- publicize,
- publicized,
- publicizer,
- publicizing,
- Public credit,
- Public domain,
- Public funds,
- Public house,
- Public law,
- Public nuisance,
- Public orator,
- Public school,
- Public stores,
- Public war,
- Public works,
- Publication of a libel,
- Publicity pamphlet,
- general public,
- in the public domain,
- in the public eye,
- notary public,
- public act,
- public assistance,
- public charity,
- public convenience,
- public debate,
- public debt,
- public defender,
- public discussion,
- public easement,
- public enemy,
- public executioner,
- public exposure,
- public eye,
- public figure,
- public holiday,
- public housing,
- public image,
- public knowledge,
- public lavatory,
- public lecture,
- public library,
- public mover,
- public nudity,
- public office,
- public opinion,
- public presentation,
- public press,
- public property,
- public prosecutor,
- public relations,
- public security,
- public servant,
- public service,
- public speaker,
- public speaking,
- public square,
- public statute,
- public toilet,
- public transit,
- public transport,
- public treasury,
- public trough,
- public trust,
- public utility,
- public violence,
- publicity man,
- serial publication,
- the public funds,
- Free public house,
- Public-hearted,
- Public-minded,
- Public-mindedness,
- Public-spirited,
- Public-spiritedly,
- Public-spiritedness,
- certified public accountant,
- doctor of public health,
- initial public offering,
- master in public affairs,
- public address system,
- public opinion poll,
- public relations man,
- public relations person,
- public utility company,
- right of first publication,
- Public-service corporation,
- Quasi-public corporation,
- public-key encryption,
- public-relations campaign,
- right to speedy and public trial by jury,
- united states public health service