Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Public
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
treasuryTo the
Private respects must yield.
public
goodPrivate respects must yield.
Milton.
He [Alexander Hamilton] touched the dead corpse of the
public
credit, and it sprung upon its feet. D. Webster.
2.
Open to the knowledge or view of all; general; common; notorious;
as,
public
report; public
scandal.Joseph, . . . not willing to make her a
public
example, was minded to put her away privily. Matt. i. 19.
3.
Open to common or general use;
“The public street.” as, a
public
road; a public
house. Shak.
public act
or
public statute
(Law)
, an act or statute affecting matters of public concern. Of such statutes the courts take judicial notice.
– Public credit
. See under
– Credit
. Public funds
. See
– Fund
, 3. Public house
, an inn, or house of entertainment.
– Public law
. (a)
See
International law
, under International
. (b)
A public act or statute.
– Public nuisance
. (Law)
See under
– Nuisance
. Public orator
. (Eng. Universities)
See
– Orator
, 3. Public stores
, military and naval stores, equipments, etc.
– Public works
, all fixed works built by civil engineers for public use, as railways, docks, canals, etc.; but strictly, military and civil engineering works constructed at the public cost.
Pub′lic
,Noun.
1.
The general body of mankind, or of a nation, state, or community; the people, indefinitely;
as, the American
; also, a particular body or aggregation of people; public
as, an author’s
. public
The
public
is more disposed to censure than to praise. Addison.
2.
A public house; an inn.
[Scot.]
Sir W. Scott.
In public
, openly; before an audience or the people at large; not in private or secrecy.
“We are to speak in public.” Shak.
Webster 1828 Edition
Public
PUB'LIC
,Adj.
1.
Pertaining to a nation, state or community; extending to a whole people; as a public law, which binds the people of a nation or state, as opposed to a private statute or resolve, which respects an individual or a corporation only. Thus we say, public welfare, public good, public calamity, public service, public property.2.
Common to many; current or circulated among people of all classes; general; as public report; public scandal.3.
Open; notorious; exposed to all persons without restriction. Joseph her husband being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. Matt.1.
4.
Regarding the community; directed to the interest of a nation, state or community; as public spirit; public mindedness; opposed to private or selfish.5.
Open for general entertainment; as a public house.6.
Open to common use; as a public road.7.
In general, public expresses something common to mankind at large, to a nation, state, city or town, and is opposed to private, which denotes what belongs to an individual, to a family, to a company or corporation.Public law, is often synonymous with the law of nations.
PUB'LIC
,Noun.
The public is more disposed to censure than to praise.
In this passage, public is followed by a verb in the singular number; but being a noun of multitude, it is more generally followed by a plural verb; the public are.
In public, in open view; before the people at large; not in private or secrecy.
In private grieve, but with a careless scorn,
In public seem to triumph, not to mourn.