public

public
{{11}}public (adj.) mid-15c., "pertaining to the people," from O.Fr. public (c.1300), from L. publicus, altered (by influence of L. pubes "adult population, adult") from Old L. poplicus "pertaining to the people," from populus "people." Meaning "open to all in the community" is from 1540s. An Old English adjective in this sense was folclic.
Public enemy is attested from 1756. Public relations first recorded 1913 (after an isolated use by Thomas Jefferson in 1807). Public school is from 1570s, originally, in Britain, a grammar school endowed for the benefit of the public, but most have evolved into boarding-schools for the well-to-do. The main modern meaning in U.S., "school (usually free) provided at public expense and run by local authorities," is attested from 1640s. For public house, see PUB (Cf. pub).
{{12}}public (n.) "the community," 1610s, from PUBLIC (Cf. public) (adj.).

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • public — public, ique [ pyblik ] adj. et n. m. • 1239; lat. publicus I ♦ Adj. 1 ♦ Qui concerne le peuple pris dans son ensemble; qui appartient à la collectivité sociale, politique et en émane; qui appartient à l État ou à une personne administrative. La… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • public — pub·lic 1 adj 1 a: exposed to general view public indecency b: known or recognized by many or most people 2 a: of, relating to, or affecting all of the people or the whole area of a nation or state public statutes b: of or relating to a go …   Law dictionary

  • public — public, ique (pu blik, bli k ) adj. 1°   Qui appartient à tout un peuple, qui concerne tout un peuple. •   Le péril dont Rodrigue a su nous retirer, Et le salut public que vous rendent ses armes, CORN. Cid, IV, 2. •   Le bien public, CORN. Nicom …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • Public — is of or pertaining to the people; relating to, or affecting, a nation, state, or community; opposed to private; as, the public treasury, a road or lake. Public is also defined as the people of a nation not affiliated with the government of that… …   Wikipedia

  • Public — Pub lic, a. [L. publicus, poblicus, fr. populus people: cf. F. public. See {People}.] 1. Of or pertaining to the people; belonging to the people; relating to, or affecting, a nation, state, or community; opposed to {private}; as, the public… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • public — PÚBLIC, Ă, publici, ce, s.n. sg., adj. 1. s.n. sg. Colectivitate mare de oameni; mulţime, lume; spec. totalitatea persoanelor care asistă la un spectacol, la o conferinţă etc. ♢ loc. adj. şi adv. În public = (care are loc) în faţa unui anumit… …   Dicționar Român

  • public — PUBLIC. adj. Commun, qui appartient à tout un peuple, qui concerne tout un peuple. L interest public. l authorité publique. l utilité publique. le thresor public. les revenus publics. il est de l avantage public que cela soit. il est du bien… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • Public.Ru — – крупнейшая интернет каталог русскоязычных СМИ. С 2000 года Public.Ru развивает собственную базу данных материалов СМИ. Сегодня в архивах доступно более 20 млн. документов из более 3000 источников – газет, журналов, информационных агентств,… …   Википедия

  • public — [pub′lik] adj. [ME < L publicus: altered (prob. infl. by pubes, adult) < poplicus, contr. of populicus, public < populus, the PEOPLE] 1. of, belonging to, or concerning the people as a whole; of or by the community at large [the public… …   English World dictionary

  • public — ► ADJECTIVE 1) of, concerning, or available to the people as a whole. 2) of or involved in the affairs of the community, especially in government or entertainment. 3) done, perceived, or existing in open view. 4) of or provided by the state… …   English terms dictionary

  • Public — Pub lic, n. 1. The general body of mankind, or of a nation, state, or community; the people, indefinitely; as, the American public; also, a particular body or aggregation of people; as, an author s public. [1913 Webster] The public is more… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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