public
Pronunciation Etymology 1
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Pronunciation Etymology 1
The adjective and noun are derived from Late Middle English publik, publike, from Anglo-Norman public, publik, publique, Middle French public, publique, and Old French public (modern French public, publique (obsolete)); and from their etymon Latin pūblicus, an alteration of poplicus (influenced by pūbēs), from poplus (later populus; from itc-pro *poplos; further origin uncertain, possibly from ett - or from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁-) + -icus.
The Middle English word displaced native Old English ceorlfolc and folclic.
The verb is derived from the adjective.
Adjectivepublic
Able to be known or seen by everyone; happening without concealment; open to general view. [from 14th c.] - 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act I, scene vi], page 100 ↗, column 1:
- VVith ſcoffes and ſcornes, and contumelious taunts, / In open Market-place produc't they me, / To be a publique ſpectacle to all: / Here, ſayd they, is the Terror of the French, / The Scar-Crovv that affrights our Children ſo.
- 1597, Richard Hooker, “S. Pauls Writing is No More Preaching, then His Pen or his Hand is His Toong: Seeing They Cannot be the Same which Cannot be Made by the Same Instruments”, in J[ohn] S[penser], editor, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], 2nd edition, London: […] Will[iam] Stansby [for Matthew Lownes], published 1611, →OCLC ↗, book V, page 222 ↗:
- [T]he Apoſtles preached as vvell vvhen they vvrote as vvhen they ſpake the Goſpell of Chriſt, and our vſuall publique reading of the vvord of God for the peoples inſtruction is preaching.
- 1709 May 16 (Gregorian calendar), Isaac Bickerstaff [pseudonym; Richard Steele et al.], “Thursday, May 5, 1709”, in The Tatler, number 11; republished in [Richard Steele], editor, The Tatler, […], London stereotype edition, volume I, London: I. Walker and Co.; […], 1822, →OCLC ↗, page 73 ↗:
- [O]ur last advices from Spain inform us, that the prince of Asturias had made his public entry into Madrid in great splendour.
- The spelling has been modernized.
- 1843 December 18, Charles Dickens, “Stave Two. The First of the Three Spirits.”, in A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC ↗, pages 58–59 ↗:
- Clear away! There was nothing they wouldn't have cleared away, or couldn't have cleared away, with old Fezziwig looking on. It was done in a minute. Every movable was packed off, as if it were dismissed from public life for evermore; the floor was swept and watered, the lamps were trimmed, fuel was heaped upon the fire; and the warehouse was as snug, and warm, and dry, and bright a ball-room, as you would desire to see upon a winter's night.
Open to all members of a community, as opposed to only a segment of it; especially, provided by national or local authorities and supported by money from taxes. [from 15th c.] - public library public park
- c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act II, scene ii], page 347 ↗, column 2:
- I ſavv her once / Hop forty Paces through the publicke ſtreete, […]
- 1848, [Elizabeth Gaskell], chapter I, in Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life. […] (Chapman and Hall’s Series of Original Works of Fiction, Biography, and General Literature), volume I, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC ↗, page 1 ↗:
- There are some fields near Manchester, well known to the inhabitants as "Green Heys Fields," through which runs a public footpath to a little village about two miles distant.
- 1924 July, John Buchan, “The House in Gospel Oak”, in The Three Hostages, London: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC ↗, page 85 ↗:
- Then it occurred to me that I might be doing a rash thing in going off to an unknown house in a seedy suburb. So I went into a public telephone-booth, rang up the Club, and told the porter that if Colonel Arbuthnot called, I was at 4 Palmyra Square, N.W.—I made him write down the address—and would be back before ten o'clock.
- 2011 May 10, David Smith, “South African ‘baby safe’ condemned by child welfare groups”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian[https://web.archive.org/web/20210516205722/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/may/10/south-africa-baby-safe-condemned], London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN ↗, →OCLC ↗, archived from the original ↗ on 2021-05-16:
- Officials say about 500 babies are abandoned each year in Western Cape province and that the number is increasing. Some are left for dead on rubbish tips, in refuge bags or at public toilets.
(business) Of a company: having shares of stock traded publicly, for example, through a stock market.
Pertaining to the people as a whole, as opposed to a group of people; concerning the whole community or country. [from 15th c.] - 1667, J[oseph] G[lanvill], Some Philosophical Considerations Touching the Being of Witches and Witchcraft. […], London: […] E[llen] C[otes] for James Collins […], →OCLC ↗, page 5 ↗:
- [S]tanding publick Records have been kept of theſe vvell atteſted Relations, and Epocha’s made of thoſe unvvonted events.
- 1673, John Ray, “Of Venice”, in Observations Topographical, Moral, & Physiological; Made in a Journey through part of the Low-countries, Germany, Italy, and France: […], London: […] John Martyn, printer to the Royal Society, […], →OCLC ↗, page 163 ↗:
- [I]f the nominated be to a place vvherein he is entruſted vvith the management of public moneys, he that nominates is ſurety for him, and is to make good vvhat he defrauds the Common-vvealth of.
- 1729, [Jonathan Swift], A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People from Being a Burthen to Their Parents, or the Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Publick, Dublin: […] S[arah] Harding, […], →OCLC ↗, page 16 ↗:
- I Profeſs in the ſincerity of my Heart that I have not the leaſt perſonal Intereſt in endeavouring to promote this neceſſary VVorks having no other Motive than the publick Good of my Country, by advancing our Trade, providing for Infants, relieving the Poor, and giving ſome Pleaſure to the Rich.
- 1731 (date written), Jonathan Swift, “An Epistle to Mr. [John] Gay”, in Thomas Sheridan, John Nichols, editors, The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, […], new edition, volume VIII, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], published 1801, →OCLC ↗, page 118 ↗:
- I knew a brazen minister of state, / Who bore for twice ten years the publick hate. / In every mouth the question most in vogue / Was, When will they turn out this odious rogue?
- 1848, John Stuart Mill, “Preliminary Remarks”, in Principles of Political Economy: With Some of Their Applications to Social Philosophy. […], volume I, London: John W[illiam] Parker, […], →OCLC ↗, book I (Production), page 8 ↗:
- Money, being the instrument of an important public and private purpose, is rightly regarded as wealth; but everything else which serves any human purpose, and which nature does not afford gratuitously, is wealth also. […] Everything forms therefore a part of wealth, which has a power of purchasing; for which anything useful or agreeable would be given in exchange.
- 2010 September 16, Adam Vaughan, “Public awareness of the biodiversity crisis is virtually non-existent”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian[https://web.archive.org/web/20231209234150/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2010/sep/16/public-awareness-biodiversity-crisis], London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN ↗, →OCLC ↗, archived from the original ↗ on 2023-12-09:
- A mere 3% of the more than 1,000 people interviewed said they actually knew what the conference was about. It seems safe to say public awareness of the Convention on Biological Awareness in Nagoya – and its goal of safeguarding wildlife – is close to non-existent.
Officially representing the community; carried out or funded by the government or state on behalf of the community, rather than by a private organization. [from 15th c.] - public housing public officer public prosecutor public servant
- 1606, C[aius, i.e., Gaius] Suetonius Tranquillus, “The Historie of Caius Iulius Cesar Dictator”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of Twelve Cæsars Emperours of Rome. […], London: […] [Humphrey Lownes and George Snowdon] for Matthew Lownes, →OCLC ↗, section 20, page 8 ↗:
- Hee brought-in likevvise the ancient cuſtome againe, that in vvhat moneth hee had not the Knitches of rods vvith Axes borne before him, a publique Officer called Accensvs ſhould huiſher him before, and the Serjeants or Lictours follovv after behinde.
- 1673, John Ray, “Of Venice”, in Observations Topographical, Moral, & Physiological; Made in a Journey through part of the Low-countries, Germany, Italy, and France: […], London: […] John Martyn, printer to the Royal Society, […], →OCLC ↗, page 170 ↗:
- [T]hoſe vvho aſſiſt the Commonvvealth in a time of need vvith their eſtates, lending ſuch a ſum of mony as the Lavv determines, have liberty granted them to be preſent in this Council, and to underſtand the management of public affairs (yet vvithout povver of balloting) till ſuch time as their moneys be repaid, and ſometimes longer.
- 1742, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter X. From Miss Darnford to Her Father and Mother.”, in Pamela; Or, Virtue Rewarded. […], 3rd edition, volume IV, London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; and sold by J. Osborn, […]; and J[ohn] Rivington, […], →OCLC ↗, pages 59–60 ↗:
- [P]oor Houſekeepers, vvho vvill be glad to accept of ſome private Benefactions, and yet, having lived creditably, till reduced by Misfortunes, are aſhamed to apply for publick Relief: […]
- 1791, James Boswell, quoting Samuel Johnson, “[1783]”, in The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. […], volume II, London: […] Henry Baldwin, for Charles Dilly, […], →OCLC ↗, page 440 ↗:
- It is vvonderful, Sir, vvith hovv little real ſuperiority of mind men can make an eminent figure in publick life.
- 1869, Louisa M[ay] Alcott, “[A] Friend”, in Little Women: […], part second, Boston, Mass.: Roberts Brothers, →OCLC ↗, page 162 ↗:
- Eager to find material for stories, and bent on making them original in plot, if not masterly in execution, […] she excited the suspicions of public librarians by asking for works on poisons; […]
- 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XLIV, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC ↗, page 356 ↗:
- From another point of view, it was a place without a soul. The well-to-do had hearts of stone; the rich were brutally bumptious; the Press, the Municipality, all the public men, were ridiculously, vaingloriously self-satisfied.
- 2004 June 18, “Economic policy: For art’s sake”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian[https://web.archive.org/web/20171122191639/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2004/jun/18/economy.artsfunding], London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN ↗, →OCLC ↗, archived from the original ↗ on 2017-11-22:
- But culture's total budget is a tiny proportion of all public spending; it is one of the government's most visible success stories.
- Pertaining to a person in the capacity in which they deal with other people on a formal or official basis, as opposed to a personal or private capacity; official, professional.
- public face public image
- 1709 May 14 (Gregorian calendar), Jenny Distaff [pseudonym; Richard Steele], “Tuesday, May 3, 1709”, in The Tatler, number 10; republished in [Richard Steele], editor, The Tatler, […], London stereotype edition, volume I, London: I. Walker and Co.; […], 1822, →OCLC ↗, page 60 ↗:
- The first that I lay my hands on, is a treatise concerning 'the empire of beauty,' and the effects it has had in all nations of the world, upon the public and private actions of men; […]
- The spelling has been modernized.
- 1814 May 9, [Jane Austen], chapter III, in Mansfield Park: […], volume III, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC ↗, page 67 ↗:
- The preacher […] who can say any thing new or striking, any thing that rouses the attention, without offending the taste, or wearing out the feelings of his hearers, is a man whom one could not (in his public capacity) honour enough.
(not comparable, by extension, object-oriented programming) Of an object: accessible to the program in general, not only to a class or subclass. - (archaic)
- Pertaining to nations collectively, or to nations regarded as civilized; international, supernational.
- 1665, Robert Boyle, “Occasional Reflections. Discourse XVII. Upon Ones Talking to an Eccho.”, in [John Weyland], editor, Occasional Reflections upon Several Subjects. With a Discourse about Such Kind of Thoughts, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Alex[ander] Ambrose Masson; and sold by John Henry Parker, […], published 1848, →OCLC ↗, section IV (Which Treats of Angling Improv’d to Spiritual Uses), page 274 ↗:
- [S]uch a one concerns himself very needlessly for almost all the publique Quarrels in Christendome, and shews himself zealous for a party which will receive no advantage by his disquiets; […]
- Now chiefly in public spirit and public-spirited: seeking to further the best interests or well-being of the community or nation.
- 1664 January (first performance), Robert Howard; [John Dryden], “The Indian Queen, a Tragedy”, in Four New Plays, […], London: […] Henry Herringman, […], published 1665, →OCLC ↗, Act IV, scene i, page 161 ↗:
- Suppoſe I ſhou'd ſtrike firſt, vvou'd it not breed / Grief in your publick heart to ſee her bleed?
- a. 1749 (date written), James Thomson, “Winter”, in The Seasons, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, and sold by Thomas Cadell, […], published 1768, →OCLC ↗, pages 185–186 ↗, lines 593–597:
- As thus vve talk'd, / Our hearts vvould burn vvithin us, vvould inhale / That portion of divinity, that ray / Of pureſt heaven, vvhich lights the public ſoul / Of patriots, and of heroes.
- 1850, R[alph] W[aldo] Emerson, “Napoleon; or, The Man of the World”, in Representative Men: Seven Lectures, Boston, Mass.: Phillips, Sampson and Company, […], →OCLC ↗, pages 228–229 ↗:
- Napoleon had been the first man of the world, if his ends had been purely public.
- Now only in public figure: famous, prominent, well-known.
- 1723, [Daniel Defoe], The History and Remarkable Life of the Truly Honourable Col. Jacque, Commonly Call'd Col. Jack, […], 2nd edition, London: […] J[ohn] Brotherton, […], →OCLC ↗, page 340 ↗:
- I VVas not ſo publick here, as to be very vvell knovvn, at leaſt by any one that had Knovvledge of me in the Country vvhere I liv'd; and this vvas indeed my ſafety aftervvard, as you vvill ſoon hear; […]
- Pertaining to nations collectively, or to nations regarded as civilized; international, supernational.
- (UK, education, chiefly, historical) In some older universities in the United Kingdom: open or pertaining to the whole university, as opposed to a constituent college or an individual staff member or student.
- (obsolete)
- Of or pertaining to the human race as a whole; common, universal.
- 1858 January 17 (date written), Nathaniel Hawthorne, “The Mediterranean Sea”, in Passages from the French and Italian Note-books of Nathaniel Hawthorne, volume I, London: Strahan & Co., […], published 1871, →OCLC ↗, page 54 ↗:
- In the squares and places you see half-a-dozen of them together, sitting in a social circle on the bottoms of upturned baskets, knitting, talking, and enjoying the public sunshine, as if it were their own household fire.
- Chiefly in make public: of a work: printed or otherwise published.
- Of or pertaining to the human race as a whole; common, universal.
- French: public
- German: öffentlich
- Portuguese: público
- Russian: обще́ственный
- Spanish: público
- French: public
- Portuguese: público
- Russian: публи́чный
- Spanish: público
- French: public
- German: öffentlich
- Italian: pubblico
- Portuguese: público
- Russian: обще́ственный
- Spanish: público
public
- (countable, uncountable) Chiefly preceded by the: members of the community or the people in general, regardless of membership of any particular group.
- Members of the public may not proceed beyond this point.
- 1611, Ben[jamin] Jonson, Catiline His Conspiracy, London: […] [William Stansby?] for Walter Burre, →OCLC ↗, Act V, signature O, verso ↗:
- Here, you, the ſad reuengers / Of capitall crimes, againſt the Publicke, take / This man vnto your iuſtice: ſtrangle him.
- 1665, Robert Boyle, “Occasional Reflections. Discourse XI. Upon a Danger Springing from an Unseasonable Contest with the Steersman.”, in [John Weyland], editor, Occasional Reflections upon Several Subjects. With a Discourse about Such Kind of Thoughts, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Alex[ander] Ambrose Masson; and sold by John Henry Parker, […], published 1848, →OCLC ↗, section IV (Which Treats of Angling Improv’d to Spiritual Uses), page 238 ↗:
- [I]t is not only requisite that the Prince know how to command well, but that the Subjects obey well; and that even weak Counsel, faithfully assisted, and as much as may be rectified or repaired by those that are to Execute them, may less prejudice the publick, than the froward and jarring endeavours of Men, that perhaps would be wiser Rulers if they had a right to be so.
- 1673, John Ray, “Of Venice”, in Observations Topographical, Moral, & Physiological; Made in a Journey through part of the Low-countries, Germany, Italy, and France: […], London: […] John Martyn, printer to the Royal Society, […], →OCLC ↗, page 154 ↗:
- And though the public be not ſo rich as it hath been, yet vvill it ſoon recover itſelf and grovv vvealthy again upon the enjoyment of Peace and free Commerce.
- 1904–1905, Baroness Orczy [i.e., Emma Orczy], “The Tremarn Case ↗”, in The Case of Miss Elliott, London: T[homas] Fisher Unwin, published 1905, →OCLC ↗, section 2; republished as popular edition, London: Greening & Co., 1909, OCLC 11192831 ↗, quoted in The Case of Miss Elliott (ebook no. 2000141h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg of Australia, February 2020:
- Two or three months more went by; the public were eagerly awaiting the arrival of this semi-exotic claimant to an English peerage, and sensations, surpassing those of the Tichborne case, were looked forward to with palpitating interest.
- (countable)
- Preceded by a possessive determiner such as my, your, or their: a group of people who support a particular person, especially a performer, a writer, etc.; an audience, a following.
- Hyponyms: readership, viewership
- (informal) Short for public house (“an inn, a pub”); also (dated), in full public bar: the more basic bar in a public house, as contrasted with the lounge bar or saloon bar which has more comfortable seats, personalized service, etc.
- Synonyms: Thesaurus:pub
- 1824 June, [Walter Scott], “Narrative of Alan Fairford, Continued”, in Redgauntlet, […], volume II, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., →OCLC ↗, page 291 ↗:
- [T]hese inconsiderate lads will be out of the house, and away to the publicks, wasting their precious time, and, it may be, missing the morning tide.
- (often, public relations) Often preceded by the and a qualifying word: a particular demographic or group of people, or segment of the population, sharing some common characteristic.
- the cinema-going public the reading public
- (sociology) A group of people sharing some common cultural, political, or social interest, but not necessarily having any interactions with each other.
- (obsolete)
- Chiefly preceded by the: a collective body of a politically organized nation or state; a body politic, a nation, a state; also, the interest or well-being of such a collective body; the common good.
- (well-being) Synonyms: commonweal
- (well-being) Synonyms: commonweal
- (US, university slang) At Harvard University: a penalty imposed on a student involving a grade reduction which is communicated to the student's parents or guardian.
- Chiefly preceded by the: a collective body of a politically organized nation or state; a body politic, a nation, a state; also, the interest or well-being of such a collective body; the common good.
- Preceded by a possessive determiner such as my, your, or their: a group of people who support a particular person, especially a performer, a writer, etc.; an audience, a following.
- (uncountable) Chiefly in in public: the presence of spectators or people generally; the open.
- c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act II, scene i], page 283 ↗, column 1:
- Come follovv vs, / VVe are to ſpeake in publique: for this buſineſſe / VVill raiſe vs all.
- 1645 June, John Evelyn, “[Diary entry for June 1645]”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […]; and sold by John and Arthur Arch, […], published 1819, →OCLC ↗, pages 191–192 ↗:
- [W]e went to the Chetto de san Felice, to see the noblemen and their ladies at Basset, a game at cards which is much used, but they play not in public, and all that have inclination to it are in masquerade, without speaking one word, and so they come in, play, loose or gaine, and go away as they please.
- 1778, [Frances Burney], “Letter XXII. Evelina [to the Rev. Mr. Villars] in Continuation.”, in Evelina, or, A Young Lady's Entrance into the World, volume I, London: […] T[homas] Lowndes, […], →OCLC ↗, pages 177–178 ↗:
- [S]he ſcolded me for I believe tvvo hours, on account of having left her, […] But ſhe aſſured me, that if ever I did ſo again, ſhe vvould never more take me into public.
- 1815 December (indicated as 1816), [Jane Austen], chapter XIV, in Emma: […], volume II, London: […] [Charles Roworth and James Moyes] for John Murray, →OCLC ↗, page 267 ↗:
- [M]y particular friend, Mrs. Partridge, the lady I have always resided with when in Bath, would be most happy to shew you any attentions, and would be the very person for you to go into public with.
- French: public
- German: Publikum, Öffentlichkeit
- Italian: pubblico
- Portuguese: público
- Russian: пу́блика
- Spanish: público
public (publics, present participle publicing; simple past and past participle publiced)
- (transitive, originally, Scotland, archaic) To make (something) openly or widely known; to publicize, to publish.
- 1939 May 4, James Joyce, Finnegans Wake, London: Faber and Faber Limited, →OCLC ↗; republished London: Faber & Faber Limited, 1960, →OCLC ↗, part I, page 160 ↗:
- [H]e is such a barefooted rubber with my supersocks pulled over his face which I publicked in my bestback garden for the laetification of siderodromites and to the irony of the stars.
public (plural publics)
- (NNSE, neologism) An internet publication.
This text is extracted from the Wiktionary and it is available under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license | Terms and conditions | Privacy policy 0.002