Public and People Come From the Same Root
Public means concerning the people. The Latin root is the populace, which also gives us people and popular.
Public means relating to the people as a whole. The Latin *publicus* was influenced by *populus*, the people, which also produced *people*, *popular*, *population* and *republic* — literally the public thing. Britain's confusing *public school*, which is private and fee-paying, was public only in the sense of being open to anyone who could pay, rather than confined to one household.
- Concerning the people. *Public opinion.*
- Open to all. *A public park.*
- The people generally. *The general public.*
- Public school — a private fee-paying school in Britain. *An English public school.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Adjective | public | Public transport. |
| Noun | public | The viewing public. |
| Adverb | publicly | Publicly funded. |
| Noun | publicity | Bad publicity. |
| Related | republic | A federal republic. |
How it is used in a sentence
- British public schools are private.A confusing survival.
- Republic means the public thing.Latin *res publica*.
- Publicly, not publically.The second spelling is an error.
Words from *populus*
- Public — of the people
- People — the populace
- Popular — of or liked by the people
- Population — the body of people
- Republic — the public affair
From Latin *publicus*, of the people, influenced by *populus*, the people.
Why is a British public school private?
Because it was open to any fee-paying pupil rather than restricted to a particular locality or household, unlike earlier private tutoring.
Publicly or publically?
Publicly. The second spelling is a common error, since most *-ic* adjectives take *-ically*.