Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
You can refer to people in general, or to all the people in a particular country or community, as the ~.
Lauderdale House is now open to the ~...
Pure alcohol is not for sale to the general ~...
Trade unions are regarding the poll as a test of the ~’s confidence in the government.
N-SING-COLL: the N
2.
You can refer to a set of people in a country who share a common interest, activity, or characteristic as a particular kind of ~.
Market research showed that 93% of the viewing ~ wanted a hit film channel.
N-SING-COLL: supp N
3.
Public means relating to all the people in a country or community.
The President is attempting to drum up ~ support for his economic program.
ADJ: ADJ n
4.
Public means relating to the government or state, or things that are done for the people by the state.
The social services account for a substantial part of ~ spending.
= government, state
ADJ: ADJ n
~ly
...~ly funded legal services.
ADV: ADV -ed
5.
Public buildings and services are provided for everyone to use.
The new museum must be accessible by ~ transport.
...a ~ health service available to all.
? private
ADJ: ADJ n
6.
A ~ place is one where people can go about freely and where you can easily be seen and heard.
...the heavily congested ~ areas of international airports...
I avoid working in places which are too ~.
? private
ADJ
7.
If someone is a ~ figure or in ~ life, many people know who they are because they are often mentioned in newspapers and on television.
I’d like to see more women in ~ life, especially Parliament.
ADJ: ADJ n
8.
Public is used to describe statements, actions, and events that are made or done in such a way that any member of the ~ can see them or be aware of them.
The National Heritage Committee has conducted a ~ inquiry to find the answer...
The comments were the ministry’s first detailed ~ statement on the subject...
ADJ: ADJ n
~ly
He never spoke ~ly about the affair...
ADV: usu ADV with v
9.
If a fact is made ~ or becomes ~, it becomes known to everyone rather than being kept secret.
Blair wants any new evidence on IRA pub bombs made ~...
ADJ: v-link ADJ
10.
If someone is in the ~ eye, many people know who they are, because they are famous or because they are often mentioned on television or in the newspapers.
One expects people in the ~ eye to conduct their personal lives with a certain decorum...
PHRASE: prep PHR
11.
If a company goes ~, it starts selling its shares on the stock exchange. (BUSINESS)
In 1951 AC went ~, having achieved an average annual profit of more than ?50,000.
PHRASE: V inflects
12.
If you say or do something in ~, you say or do it when a group of people are present.
By-laws are to make it illegal to smoke in ~.
PHRASE: PHR after v
13.
to wash your dirty linen in ~: see dirty