Tra từ public - Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th

pub·lic [public publics] adjective, noun BrE [ˈpʌblɪk] NAmE [ˈpʌblɪk]
adjective

OF ORDINARY PEOPLE
1. only before noun connected with ordinary people in society in general
• The campaign is designed to increase public awareness of the issues.
• Levels of waste from the factory may be a danger to public health.
•Why would the closure of hospitals be in the public interest (= useful to ordinary people)?
•The government had to bow to public pressure.

FOR EVERYONE
2. only before noun provided, especially by the government, for the use of people in general
•a public education system
•a public library
Opp: ↑private

OF GOVERNMENT
3. only before noun connected with the government and the services it provides
•public money/spending/funding/expenditure
• He spent much of his career in public office (= working in the government).
• (BrE)the public purse (= the money that the government can spend)
• The rail industry is no longer in public ownership (= controlled by the government).
Opp: ↑private

SEEN/HEARD BY PEOPLE
4. known to people in general
•a public figure (= a person who is well known because they are often on the television, radio, etc.)
• Details of the government report have not yet been made public.
• She entered public life (= started a job in which she became known to the public) at the age of 25.
•This latest scandal will not have done their public image (= the opinion that people have of them) any good.
5. open to people in general; intended to be seen or heard by people in general
•a public apology
• The painting will be put on public display next week.
• This may be the band's last public appearance together.

PLACE
6. where there are a lot of people who can see and hear you
• Let's go somewhere a little less public.
Opp: ↑private
more at be common/public knowledge at ↑knowledge

Word Origin:
late Middle English: from Old French, from Latin publicus, blend of poplicus ‘of the people’ (from populus ‘people’) and pubes ‘adult’.

Thesaurus:
public adj.
1. only before noun
•The government had to bow to public pressure.
popular • • social • • civic •
public/popular/social awareness/pressure/support/unrest
public/popular opinion
public/social issues/values/policy/welfare
2. only before noun
•He was charged with destroying public property.
common • • communal • • collective •
Opp: private
public/common/communal/collective property
public/common/communal land
3. only before noun
•Schools are worried about public spending cuts.
state • • national • • federal •
Opp: private
public/state/national/federal authorities/funding/expenditure/investiture
public/state/federal control/institutions/officials/funds/spending
public/state education/hospitals/enterprise/ownership
the public/state sector

Example Bank:
•There was a very public display of Anglo-American unity at the meeting.
•We're going to make the news public.
•Details of the government report have not yet been made public.
•He spent much of his career in public office.
•He was charged with destroying public property.
•Jobs have been created in both the private and public sectors of the economy.
•Levels of waste from the factory may be a danger to public health.
•Schools are worried about public spending cuts.
•She entered public life at the age of 23.
•The campaign is designed to increase public awareness of the issues.
•The information is available in any public library.
•The media has a powerful influence on public opinion.
•The rail industry is no longer in public ownership.
•The reception and other public areas have been refurbished.
•Their tax plans would hit public services.
•There has been massive investment in public housing.
•There is a desperate need to improve public transport in the city.
•We believe there is scope to improve public access to the countryside.
•What would be the real cost of such a scheme to the public purse?
•Why would the closure of hospitals be in the public interest?
•public transportation
Idioms: ↑go public ▪ ↑in public ▪ ↑in the public eye
Derived Word: ↑publicly

noun singular + singular or plural verb

ORDINARY PEOPLE
1. the publicordinary people in society in general
• The palace is now open to the public.
• There have been many complaints from members of the public.
•The public has/have a right to know what is contained in the report.
see also ↑general public

GROUP OF PEOPLE
2. a group of people who share a particular interest or who are involved in the same activity
•the theatre-going public
• She knows how to keep her public (= for example, the people who buy her books) satisfied.
more at wash your dirty linen in public at ↑wash _v.

Word Origin:
late Middle English: from Old French, from Latin publicus, blend of poplicus ‘of the people’ (from populus ‘people’) and pubes ‘adult’.

Thesaurus:
the
public noun sing.+ sing./pl. v.
•The government should inform the public of the risks.
population • • the country • • the nation • • community • • society •
(the) public/population/country/nation/community/society at large/as a whole
the general public/population/community
a member of (the) public/population/community/society

Example Bank:
•He accused the administration of deliberately misleading the public on this issue.
•He rarely appears in public these days.
•Her work is now available to a wider public.
•Satellite television has provided the viewing public with a wide choice of programmes.
•The government was slow to inform the public about the health hazards of asbestos.
•The house is open to the public at weekends.
•She knows how to keep her public satisfied.
•The show drew 12% of the viewing public.
•the book-buying/reading/sporting/theatre-going/travelling/viewing public