- public
- The whole body politic, or the aggregate of the citizens of a state, nation, or municipality. The inhabitants of a state, county, or community.In one sense, everybody, and accordingly the body of the people at large; the community at large, without reference to the geographical limits of any corporation like a city, town, or county; the people.In another sense the word does not mean all the people, nor most of the people, nor very many of the people of a place, but so many of them as contradistinguishes them from a few. Accordingly, it has been defined or employed as meaning the inhabitants of a particular place; all the inhabitants of a particular place; the people of the neighborhood.Also, a part of the inhabitants of a community2 public, adjPertaining to a state, nation, or whole community; proceeding from, relating to, or affecting the whole body of people or an entire community. Open to all; notorious. Common to all or many; general; open to common use. Belonging to the people at large; relating to or affecting the whole people of a state, nation, or community; not limited or restricted to any particular class of the community. Peacock v. Retail Credit Co., D.C.Ga., 302 F.Supp. 418, 423.As to public accounts- public acknowledgment- public act- public agent- public attorney- public auction- public breach- public blockade- public business- public capacity- public carrier- public chapel- public charge- public charity- public company- public debt- public domain, easement- public enemy- public ferry- public fund- public good- public grant- public health- public highway- public holiday- public hospital- public house- public indecent- public institution- public market- public minister- public money- public necessity- public notice- public office- public officer- public peace- public policy- public pond- public prosecutor- public revenue- public river- public road- public school- public seal- public square- public stock- public store- public tax- public things- public thoroughfare- public trust- public verdict- public vessel- public war- public wrong, see those titles@ public accommodationWithin the meaning of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits racial discrimination in such places, it is generally a business establishment, affecting interstate commerce or supported in its activities by State action, which provides lodging, food, entertainment or other services and is open to the public. 42 U.S.C.A. No. 2000a(b)@ public advocateOne who may or may not be an attorney who purports to represent the public at large in matters of public concern such as utility rates, environmental quality, and other consumer matters.See also ombudsman@ public agencyA department or agency of government which has official or quasi official status. An administrative body@
Black's law dictionary. HENRY CAMPBELL BLACK, M. A.. 1990.
