public

/ˈpə-blik/

Middle English publique, publike, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin pūblicus "of or belonging to the people as a body, authorized by the state, communal, available to all, universal," alteration (by blending with pūbēs "adult male population, group of able-bodied men," perhaps via an adjective derivative *pūbicus) of earlier poplicus, from pop(u)lus "a human community, people, nation" + -icus {et_link|-ic;1|-ic:1}

adjective

  1. exposed to general view : open

  2. well-known, prominent

  3. perceptible, material

noun

  1. a place accessible or visible to the public —usually used in the phrase in public

  2. the people as a whole : populace

  3. a group of people having common interests or characteristics; specifically : the group at which a particular activity or enterprise aims

noun

  1. an apparatus including a microphone and loudspeakers used for broadcasting (as to an audience in an auditorium) —called also PA, PA system