Phrase guide

general public

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

Those members of the public who have no special role in a particular area, such as an airport, hospital or railway station; there will typically be restrictions on their access.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: plural, plural-only

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Members of the public not in the attentive public of any given issue; laypeople.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: plural, plural-only

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

35 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: عَامَّة اَلنَّاس (ʕāmmat an-nās) — members of the public who have no special role
  • Chinese Mandarin: 公眾 /公众 (gōngzhòng) — members of the public who have no special role
  • Chinese Mandarin: 大眾 /大众 (dàzhòng) — members of the public who have no special role
  • Chinese Mandarin: 群眾 /群众 (qúnzhòng) — members of the public who have no special role
  • Danish: almenhed — members of the public who have no special role
  • Danish: offentlighed — members of the public who have no special role
  • Finnish: suuri yleisö — members of the public who have no special role
  • French: grand public — members of the public who have no special role
  • Galician: público en xeral — members of the public who have no special role
  • German: Allgemeinheit — members of the public who have no special role
  • Italian: pubblico generale — members of the public who have no special role
  • Japanese: 大衆 (taishū) — members of the public who have no special role
  • Japanese: 一般の人々 (ippan-no hitobito) — members of the public who have no special role
  • Māori: iwi whānui — members of the public who have no special role
  • Norwegian Bokmål: allmennhet — members of the public who have no special role
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: allmente — members of the public who have no special role
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: ålmente — members of the public who have no special role
  • Polish: społeczeństwo — members of the public who have no special role
  • Russian: обще́ственность (obščéstvennostʹ) — members of the public who have no special role
  • Russian: ма́ссы (mássy) — members of the public who have no special role
  • Russian: широ́кая пу́блика (širókaja públika) — members of the public who have no special role
  • Spanish: gran público — members of the public who have no special role
  • Swedish: folkdjup — members of the public who have no special role
  • Tamil: பொதுமக்கள் (potumakkaḷ) — members of the public who have no special role
  • Vietnamese: công chúng — members of the public who have no special role
  • Vietnamese: xã hội — members of the public who have no special role
  • Chinese Mandarin: 外行 (wàiháng) — laypeople
  • Finnish: suuri yleisö — laypeople
  • Japanese: 素人 (shirōto) — laypeople
  • Japanese: 門外漢 (mongaikan) — laypeople
  • Russian: миря́не (mirjáne) — laypeople
  • Russian: дилета́нты (diletánty) — laypeople
  • Spanish: profanos — laypeople
  • Spanish: legos — laypeople
  • Tamil: பொதுமக்கள் (potumakkaḷ) — laypeople