Public

a. [Lat. publicus, poblicus, poplicus, contracted from populicus, from populus, people; Fr. & Pr. public, Sp. & Pg. publico, It. pubblico.] 1. Pertaining to, or belonging to, the people; relating to a nation, state, or community; — opposed to private. To the public good Private respects must yield. Milton. He [Alexander Hamilton] touched the dead corpse of the public credit, and it sprung upon its feet. D. Webster. 2. Hence, open to the knowledge of all; common; notorious; as, public report; public scandal. Joseph, her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. Matt. i. 19. 3. Open to common use; as, a public road; a public house. I have seen her hop forty paces through the public street. Shak. Public law is often synonymous with the law of nations. — Public orator (Eng. Universities), an officer who is the voice of the university on all public occasions, who writes, reads, and records all letters of a public nature, and presents with an appropriate address those on whom honorary degrees are conferred. — Public stores, naval and military stores, equipments, &c. — Public works, all fixed works built by civil engineers for public use, as railways, docks, canals, &c.; but strictly, military and civil engineering works constructed at the public cost.