English → Latin
“public” in Latin
pūblicusof or belonging to the people, state, or community; public, generalaperiōto uncover, make or lay bare, reveal, clear; to make visible, discover, show, reveal, lay open; to unclose, open, break commūniscommon, commonplace, ordinary, general, universal, shared, shared alike, of both sides, belonging to two or more togethecelebercontaining a multitude, numerous, frequent; crowded, populous; honored by a great assembly, famous, celebrated, renownedvulgōto broadcast; to publish; to divulge; to issue; to make known among the people; to make common; to prostitute; to make kdomesticusOf the house; domestic; familiar; nativesurgōto rise; to arise; to rise from bed; to get up; to stand up; to lift up; to straighten; to occur; to take place; to aris
The English word public itself goes back to Latin pūblicus.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
public
publicus (opposed to privatus, domesticus): apertus, communis (for the use of every one): celeber (frequented by all): vulgaris (belonging or accessible to all): to come before the public, in publicum, in solem or in solem et pulverem prodire (of a statesman): in medium procedere, surgere or aggredi ad dicendum (of an orator): prodire in scenam, produci (of an actor): se efferre, exsistere (general term, to raise one’s self to eminence) public life, vita forensis (opposed to umbratilis); also by circumlocution with rempublicam gerere: to enter upon public life, ad rempublicam accedere; rempublicam capessere: his first entrance into public life was, primus gradus fuit capessendae reipublicae (Nep., Them., 2): the public, populus; vulgus (☞ not publicum). In a public character or capacity, publice (opposed to privatim, Cic.).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for public?
- The usual Latin words for “public” are pūblicus, aperiō, commūnis; also celeber, vulgō, domesticus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.