publicly

adverb

pub·​lic·​ly ˈpə-bli-klē How to pronounce publicly (audio)
variants or less commonly publically
Synonyms of publiclynext
1
: in a manner observable by or in a place accessible to the public : openly
2
a
: by the people generally
b
: by a government

Examples of publicly in a Sentence

She very publicly acknowledged her mistake. The information is publicly available. The policies have been publicly approved.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In an effort to make up for betraying Simon to the Department of Damage Control, Trevor decided to save his new BFF by publicly taking the blame for the explosion, pretending to once again be the fake terrorist, the Mandarin. Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026 Our data comes from publicly available information. Southern California Weather Report, Oc Register, 29 Jan. 2026 The backlash to her organization’s application was swift, both publicly and privately. Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 29 Jan. 2026 Police urge drivers to stay The victim has not been publicly identified by police. Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for publicly

Word History

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of publicly was in 1534

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Publicly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/publicly. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.

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