1 of or concerning the people as a whole : public concern | public affairs.• open
to or shared by all the people of an area or country : a public library.• of or
provided by the government rather than an independent, commercial
company : public spending.• of or involved in the affairs of the community,
esp. in government : his public career was destroyed by tenacious
reporters.• known to many people; famous : a public figure.
2 done, perceived, or existing in open view : he wanted a public apology in the
Wall Street Journal | we should talk somewhere less public.
3 Brit. of, for, or acting for a university : public examination results.