the public
noun
: the people of a country, state, etc.
the American public
The beach is open to the public.
The general public is in favor of the law.
Members of the public called for the mayor's resignation.
Examples of the public in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Since news of the contract started to spread last month, members of the public have passionately spoken out against the contract at every City Council meeting.
—
Stacy Brandt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
Nick Buckler, captain of the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s special operations unit, credited members of the public with bringing the video to the attention of investigators.
—Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2026
Councilmembers also supported the public’s request to recoup the $154,650 already spent on the license-plate readers, but opted to pursue that issue separately to keep the final resolution focused strictly on contract termination.
—Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2026
Educating the public about responsible AI use is a hot-button issue and is part of the company’s adoption side discussions, the other half being practical uses.
—Gretchen Wittenmyer-Stone, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2026
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Stacy Brandt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
Nick Buckler, captain of the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s special operations unit, credited members of the public with bringing the video to the attention of investigators.
—Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2026
Councilmembers also supported the public’s request to recoup the $154,650 already spent on the license-plate readers, but opted to pursue that issue separately to keep the final resolution focused strictly on contract termination.
—Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2026
Educating the public about responsible AI use is a hot-button issue and is part of the company’s adoption side discussions, the other half being practical uses.
—Gretchen Wittenmyer-Stone, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the public
Cite this Entry
“The public.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20public. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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