public
1 n-sing-coll You can refer to people in general, or to all the people in a particular country or community, as the public.
the N
Lauderdale House is now open to the public..., Pure alcohol is not for sale to the general public..., Trade unions are regarding the poll as a test of the public's confidence in the government.
2 n-sing-coll You can refer to a set of people in a country who share a common interest, activity, or characteristic as a particular kind of public.
supp N
Market research showed that 93% of the viewing public wanted a hit film channel.
3 adj Public means relating to all the people in a country or community.
ADJ n
The President is attempting to drum up public support for his economic program.
4 adj Public means relating to the government or state, or things that are done for the people by the state.
ADJ n
(=government, state)
The social services account for a substantial part of public spending.
publicly adv ADV -ed
...publicly funded legal services.
5 adj Public buildings and services are provided for everyone to use.
ADJ n (Antonym: private)
The new museum must be accessible by public transport., ...a public health service available to all.
6 adj A public place is one where people can go about freely and where you can easily be seen and heard., (Antonym: private)
...the heavily congested public areas of international airports..., I avoid working in places which are too public.
7 adj If someone is a public figure or in public life, many people know who they are because they are often mentioned in newspapers and on television.
ADJ n
I'd like to see more women in public life, especially Parliament.
8 adj Public is used to describe statements, actions, and events that are made or done in such a way that any member of the public can see them or be aware of them.
ADJ n
The National Heritage Committee has conducted a public inquiry to find the answer..., The comments were the ministry's first detailed public statement on the subject...
publicly adv usu ADV with v
He never spoke publicly about the affair...
9 adj If a fact is made public or becomes public, it becomes known to everyone rather than being kept secret.
v-link ADJ
Blair wants any new evidence on IRA pub bombs made public...
10 If someone is inthe public eye, many people know who they are, because they are famous or because they are often mentioned on television or in the newspapers.
the public eye phrase prep PHR
One expects people in the public eye to conduct their personal lives with a certain decorum...
11 If a company goes public, it starts selling its shares on the stock exchange. (BUSINESS)
go public phrase V inflects
In 1951 AC went public, having achieved an average annual profit of more than £50,000.
12 If you say or do something in public, you say or do it when a group of people are present.
in public phrase PHR after v
By-laws are to make it illegal to smoke in public.
13
→
to wash your dirty linen in public
→
dirty
