publicly

adverb

pub·​lic·​ly ˈpə-bli-klē How to pronounce publicly (audio)
variants or less commonly publically
ˈpə-bli-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce publicly (audio)
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.
O’Donnell and Hasselbeck again publicly sparred over social media after the former replied to a question about their 2007 clash on the Ricki-Lee, Tim & Joel podcast. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026 The founders of Bellwood Coffee publicly apologized and recommissioned local artist Tommy Bronx to repaint his original work. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 3 Aug. 2026 She has not been seen publicly since then, and the last official photo of her released was in April, when she was moved from prison to house arrest and her sentence was reduced as part of a prisoner amnesty for a Buddhist holiday. — ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026 In 2025, the data center plans were discussed publicly in Westlake during a January town council meeting and during planning and zoning meetings which were live-streamed and have archived video, according to Westlake’s statement. — Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for publicly

Word History

Etymology

public entry 1 + -ly entry 2

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of publicly was in 1534

Rhymes for publicly

See All Rhymes for publicly

Browse Nearby Words

public library
publicly
public member
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

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More from Merriam-Webster on publicly

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for publicly

Nglish: Translation of publicly for Spanish Speakers

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