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 involved in the affairs of the community, especially in government or entertainment:
he was forced to withdraw from public life
a public figure
2done, perceived, or existing in open view:
he wanted a public apology in the Wall Street Journal
we should talk somewhere less public3of or provided by the state rather than an independent, commercial company:
public spending
public services4British of, for, or acting for a university:
public examination resultsnoun
1 (the public) [treated as singular or plural] ordinary people in general; the community:
the library is open to the public
the general public have a right to know•[with adjective or noun modifier] a section of the community having a particular interest or connection:
the reading public
•(one's public) informal the people who watch or are interested in an artist, writer, or performer:
some famous last words to give my public