English · Word Candidate

public

/ˈpʌblɪk/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: publics

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Able to be known or seen by everyone; happening without concealment; open to general view.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Có thể được biết hoặc nhìn thấy bởi mọi người; xảy ra mà không che giấu; công khai.

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

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.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

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.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Mở cửa với tất cả thành viên của cộng đồng, không chỉ một phân khúc của nó.

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

public library public park

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Chiefly preceded by the: members of the community or the people in general, regardless of membership of any particular group.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Các thành viên của cộng đồng hoặc người dân nói chung, bất kể thành viên của nhóm nào.

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

Members of the public may not proceed beyond this point.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

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.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Một nhóm người ủng hộ một người cụ thể, đặc biệt là một nghệ sĩ, một nhà văn, v.v.; khán giả, người theo dõi.

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

By dint of drinking acid tiff, as above mentioned, and smoking segars, in which I am no novice, my Public are to be informed, that I gradually drank and smoked myself into a certain degree of acquaintance with un homme comme il faut [a decent man], one of the few fine old specimens of nobility who a

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “public” mean?

Able to be known or seen by everyone; happening without concealment; open to general view.

Is “public” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.