public
Noun · AdjectiveOpen English WordNet
Adjective (2)
- 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”Opposite privateSimilar open, national, semipublic, state-supported, unexclusive, in the public eyeSee also exoteric, overt
- affecting the people or community as a whole“the public welfare”“Public interests”“Public leaders”Opposite singleSimilar common
What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz
Translations
Noun the people, the community
- Spanish
- público
- French
- public
- German
- Öffentlichkeit
- Italian
- pubblico
- Portuguese
- público
- Turkish
- kamu
- Russian
- обще́ственность obščéstvennostʹ
- Arabic
- جُمْهُور jumhūr
- Chinese
- 公众 gōngzhòng
- Japanese
- 大衆 taishū
25 more languages
- Dutch
- publiek
- Swedish
- allmänhet
- Greek
- κοινό koinó
- Korean
- 공공 gonggong
- Vietnamese
- công chúng
- Hungarian
- nyilvánosság
- Portuguese (PT)
- público
- Chinese (Trad.)
- 公眾 gōngzhòng
- Albanian
- publik
- Czech
- veřejnost
- Danish
- offentlighed
- Esperanto
- publiko
- Estonian
- avalikkus
- Finnish
- yleisö
- Georgian
- პუბლიკა ṗubliḳa
- Hebrew
- קהל kahál
- Icelandic
- almenningur
- Latvian
- sabiedrība
- Norwegian
- allmennhet
- Romanian
- public
- Scottish Gaelic
- sluagh
- Serbo-Croatian
- javnost
- Swahili
- umma
- Welsh
- cyhoedd
- Yiddish
- עולם oylem
Adjective pertaining to the people as a whole
- Spanish
- público
- French
- public
- German
- öffentlich
- Italian
- pubblico
- Portuguese
- público
- Turkish
- kamusal
- Russian
- обще́ственный obščéstvennyj
- Arabic
- عُمُومِيّ ʕumūmiyy
- Chinese
- 公共 gōnggòng
- Dutch
- openbaar
26 more languages
- Polish
- publiczny
- Swedish
- offentlig
- Greek
- δημόσιος dimósios
- Indonesian
- umum
- Vietnamese
- công cộng
- Hungarian
- nyilvános
- Portuguese (PT)
- público
- Chinese (Trad.)
- 公共 gōnggòng
- Breton
- foran
- Catalan
- públic
- Czech
- veřejný
- Danish
- offentlig
- Esperanto
- publika
- Estonian
- avalik
- Finnish
- julkinen
- Georgian
- საჯარო saǯaro
- Hebrew
- ציבורי tsiburí
- Icelandic
- opinber
- Kurdish
- giştî
- Lithuanian
- visuomeninis
- Norwegian
- offentlig
- Romanian
- public
- Scottish Gaelic
- poblach
- Slovak
- verejný
- Welsh
- cyhoeddus
- Yiddish
- עפֿנטלעך efntlekh
The main translation for each meaning, from the langtolang.com multilingual dictionary. Each word links to its full entry there.
Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Origin: 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.
To the public good Private respects must yield.— John Milton
He [Alexander Hamilton] touched the dead corpse of the public credit, and it sprung upon its feet.— Daniel Webster
2. Open to the knowledge or view of all; general; common; notorious; as, public report; public scandal.
Joseph,... not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.— Matt. i. 19.
3. Open to common or general use; as, a public road; a public house. “The public street.” William Shakespeare
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.
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.
The public is more disposed to censure than to praise.— Joseph Addison
2. A public house; an inn. Scottish Sir Walter Scott
In public, openly; before an audience or the people at large; not in private or secrecy. “We are to speak in public.” William Shakespeare
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54