publicly
gb/pˈʌblɪkli/ us/pˈʌblɪkli/
B2
English
~ 7200
Senses
0 senses
adverb
B2
property
1
In an open, not secret, way
In a way that many people can see or know; not in private.
Usage pattern:
to do [something] publicly
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse "public" and "publicly" and say *"He spoke public"* instead of "He spoke publicly" or "He spoke in public." Another mistake is adding a preposition, e.g. *"He apologized in publicly"*, which is incorrect; say "He apologized publicly" or "He apologized in public."
Synonyms
openly (Very close in meaning; slightly more common in everyday speech.)
|
in public (A two-word phrase; a little more informal and concrete, focusing on place.)
|
overtly (More formal; often used when contrasting with hidden or secret behavior.)
Antonyms
privately (Emphasizes that something is done away from other people, not in front of them.)
|
secretly (Stresses that something is hidden so that other people do not know about it.)
Collocations
publicly admit
|publicly apologize
|publicly criticize
|publicly support
|publicly acknowledge
|publicly accuse
Themes
communication
|social
|media
|law
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The minister publicly apologized for her comments after the video went viral.
- He has never publicly discussed the reasons for leaving the company.
- The actor publicly supported the campaign on social media.
- After years of denial, the company finally publicly acknowledged its role in the pollution.
- She was publicly criticized for sharing false information about the vaccine.
Learner examples
- The singer publicly said she was wrong.
- He does not want to talk about his family publicly.
- The mayor publicly thanked the doctors and nurses.
- She publicly supports the new law.
- The player publicly admitted his mistake.
adverb
C1
property
2
Using public or government funds
Paid for or supported with money from the government or from all the people, not from a private person or business.
Usage pattern:
[something] is publicly funded/owned/managed
Common mistake:
Learners may mix this sense with the more general meaning of "openly." For example, *"The school is publicly"* is incomplete; you should say "The school is publicly funded" or "publicly owned." The adverb usually comes before a past participle like "funded," "owned," or "financed."
Synonyms
government-funded (Makes it explicit that the money comes from the government; slightly more informal in some contexts.)
|
state-funded (Often used in formal or political contexts, especially in British English.)
Antonyms
privately funded (Emphasizes that money comes from private individuals or companies, not from public funds.)
|
privately owned (Highlights that ownership is in private hands, not the state or general public.)
Collocations
publicly funded
|publicly owned
|publicly provided
|publicly managed
|publicly financed
Themes
government
|economics
|education
|finance
|politics
Examples
- In this country, most hospitals are publicly funded.
- The museum is publicly owned but operated by a non-profit organization.
- They argued that higher education should be publicly financed and free at the point of use.
- Publicly provided childcare has become a key political issue.
- The report compares publicly and privately funded research projects.
Learner examples
- School is publicly funded in many countries.
- The bus system is publicly owned and very cheap.
- Many people want healthcare to be publicly paid for.
- This park is publicly funded by taxes.
- The theater is publicly supported, so tickets are not expensive.
adverb
technical
C1
property
3
With shares traded on stock market
Describes a company whose shares anyone can buy on the stock market, not just a small group of owners.
Usage pattern:
[company] is publicly traded/listed/held
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this financial sense with the general meaning of "openly" and may think "publicly traded" means "traded in front of everyone" in a physical place. In business English, it specifically refers to companies whose shares are available on stock markets.
Synonyms
listed (Common in financial contexts, often used as a standalone adjective meaning listed on a stock exchange.)
|
publicly traded (A fixed phrase that fully expresses this sense; includes "publicly" but is often treated as a single unit.)
Antonyms
privately held (Refers to a company whose shares are not available to the general public.)
|
unlisted (Technical term meaning not listed on a stock exchange.)
Collocations
publicly traded
|publicly listed
|publicly held
|publicly quoted
|publicly traded company
|publicly listed shares
Themes
business
|finance
Examples
- Tesla is a publicly traded company listed on the NASDAQ.
- Once the firm becomes publicly listed, it will have to publish detailed financial reports.
- He prefers to invest only in large, publicly held corporations.
- The bank was privately owned until it went publicly traded in the late 1990s.
- The regulator fined several publicly quoted firms for failing to disclose key information.
Learner examples
- Apple is a publicly traded company.
- The company became publicly listed last year.
- Many people buy shares in publicly traded firms.
- A publicly held company must share its financial results.
- He works for a big publicly traded bank.
Grammar
Dictionary form
publicly
IPA
GB/pˈʌblɪkli/
US/pˈʌblɪkli/
Syllables & stress
pub - licly (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (pub)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: publicly
- Plural: publiclies
Word family
Forms
publiclies
noun
Related words
Negative and opposite forms
Advanced or less common
publicize
verb B2
publicist
noun
Expressions
publicly acknowledge
1/pˈʌblɪkli æknˈɑlɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
Openly admit or recognize
To say or show in front of many people that something is true or real.
Examples
- The company publicly acknowledged that a data breach had occurred.
- He finally publicly acknowledged his role in the project’s success.
- The government publicly acknowledged its failure to act sooner.
publicly apologize
1/pˈʌblɪkli əpˈɑləd͡ʒˌaɪz/
fixed phrase
Say sorry in front of everyone
To say you are sorry in a way that many people can see or hear, for example on TV or online.
Examples
- The politician agreed to publicly apologize for his offensive remarks.
- The company publicly apologized after customers complained on social media.
- She refused to publicly apologize, saying she had done nothing wrong.
publicly available
1/pˈʌblɪkli əvˈeɪləbəl/
fixed phrase
Free for anyone to access
Describes information or material that anyone can get or see, without special permission.
Examples
- The full report will be made publicly available on the website.
- Most of this data is already publicly available if you know where to look.
- Government spending figures should be publicly available in a clear format.
publicly criticize
1/pˈʌblɪkli kɹˈɪtɪsˌaɪz/
fixed phrase
Openly say something is bad
To say in front of many people that you think someone or something is wrong or bad.
Examples
- Employees were afraid to publicly criticize their managers.
- He publicly criticized the policy in an online article.
- The group has publicly criticized the government’s handling of the crisis.
publicly funded
1/pˈʌblɪkli fˈʌndɪd/
fixed phrase
Paid for with public money
Describes something that is paid for with government money or money from all the people (taxes).
Examples
- Most universities in the region are publicly funded.
- They argued that childcare should be publicly funded, not left to private markets.
- The new research center is publicly funded but run by an independent board.
publicly listed
1/pˈʌblɪkli lˈɪstɪd/
fixed phrase
technical
Officially on a stock exchange
Describes a company that is officially on a stock exchange so the public can trade its shares.
Examples
- The company plans to become publicly listed within the next three years.
- Publicly listed firms must follow strict reporting rules.
- Their goal is to move from a startup to a publicly listed business.
publicly owned
1/pˈʌblɪkli ˈoʊnd/
fixed phrase
Owned by the state or public
Describes something, like a company or service, that is owned by the government or the people, not by a private person or business.
Examples
- Water utilities are publicly owned in many European countries.
- The debate over whether railways should be privately run or publicly owned continues.
- Publicly owned assets are managed on behalf of all citizens.
publicly support
1/pˈʌblɪkli səpˈɔɹt/
fixed phrase
Show support in public
To say or show that you agree with or help someone or something in a way that many people can see.
Examples
- Several celebrities publicly support the climate campaign.
- The union has publicly supported the new safety measures.
- She was afraid to publicly support the protesters.
publicly traded
1/pˈʌblɪkli tɹˈeɪdɪd/
fixed phrase
technical
Company with shares on stock market
Used to describe a company whose shares anyone can buy and sell on a stock market.
Examples
- Microsoft is one of the largest publicly traded companies in the world.
- Going from a family business to a publicly traded corporation changed how the company was run.
- Investors often see publicly traded firms as more transparent.
publicly accessible
1/pˈʌblɪkli æksˈɛsəbəl/
fixed phrase
Able to be used by anyone
Describes a place, service, or information that any person can reach, enter, or use.
Examples
- The park is publicly accessible all year round.
- The library's digital archives are publicly accessible from anywhere in the world.
- These documents are publicly accessible online.
- They designed the park to be fully publicly accessible, including for wheelchair users.
- All meeting minutes will be publicly accessible online.