public square

noun

1
: an open public area in a city or town where people gather
St. Mark's Square in Venice is sinking at a time when this Italian city's popularity is rising. The world's most famous public square now floods an average of three out of every five days.Tom Crosby
2
: the sphere of public opinion
In an August 2007 speech, then-New York governor Eliot Spitzer expounded upon Reinhold Niebuhr and the virtues of humility in the public square.Lisa Miller
… using legal action to cow an opponent into silence, and withdrawal from the public square.Mark Steyn

Examples of public square in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Members of the cooperative also designed and built Plaza Luisa Cuesta, a public square that created open space in an otherwise dense neighborhood for residents to gather and socialize. Daniela Sanjinés, The Conversation, 22 July 2025 And God is once again welcomed back into our public square. Lalee Ibssa, ABC News, 14 July 2025 Downtown Cincinnati's Fountain Square also ranked No. 7 for best public square Wednesday, which is three spots higher than its 2024 ranking. Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025 The Woodcock Foundation is a funder of Headway’s public square. Ernesto Londoño, New York Times, 18 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for public square

Word History

First Known Use

1757, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of public square was in 1757

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Cite this Entry

“Public square.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/public%20square. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.

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