adverb

• 1So as to be seen by other people; in public.

  ‘some weep publicly’

  More example sentences

  • ‘He was the last person in Britain sentenced to be publicly hanged, drawn and quartered.’
  • ‘The Aberdeen manager does not accept that he did the dirty on his players by publicly hanging them out to dry.’
  • ‘Hare turned King's evidence, but Burke was hanged and afterwards publicly dissected.’
  • ‘Now we are shamelessly and publicly adding religious discrimination to the witches' brew.’
  • ‘The health problems linked to smoking are so vast and it is a real problem but if people continue to smoke openly and publicly where will it end?’
  • ‘Times were tough in the past and criminals were publicly whipped, branded, banished or hanged.’
  • ‘The donors' names were displayed publicly on a long blackboard hung on the wall in front of the hall.’
  • ‘How can you expect people to speak out if you publicly humiliate them?’
  • ‘He also said he wanted to publicly thank all the staff and valued customers for their loyalty and support over the years.’
  • ‘He had a hot temper and a weekly column in which he could publicly tear to shreds anyone who dared gainsay him or meddle with his works.’
  • ‘The airline incident is also the second time in six months that he's been publicly accused of violent, loutish behaviour.’
  • ‘For the first time in history his job was publicly advertised.’
  • ‘He almost never discusses his cases publicly and rarely grants formal interviews.’
  • ‘He has said publicly he has no idea how it could be that HIH is insolvent.’
  • ‘Only a very select group is publicly given credit for academic success.’
  • ‘He changed course when it was clear things weren't working and announced it publicly.’
  • ‘In that golden age, pink and red flags were not publicly mixed.’
  • ‘A number of years ago rumors of Arnold's affair with Tammy began to leak out publicly.’
  • ‘I want to publicly apologize to my family for shocking them and for hurting them.’
  • ‘I want those horrible soldiers who were responsible for this to be publicly punished and humiliated.’

  1. 1.1often sentence adverb Used in reference to views expressed to others and not necessarily genuinely felt.
     ‘publicly, officials criticized the resolution, but privately they thought it tolerable’
     More example sentences

     • ‘But we rarely hear any of these views expressed publicly by mainstream politicians.’
     • ‘Some will feel pressured to publicly display views they do not agree with.’
     • ‘They might critique them privately, but not necessarily in print or publicly.’
     • ‘Despite the obvious problems with the court, its officials, publicly at least, are talking it up.’
     • ‘NHS officials have publicly denied the claims, but both papers stood by their stories.’
     • ‘As a matter of publicly stated official policy, that was probably the right answer.’
     • ‘Sensibly, So has stayed publicly away from criticising Sheppard over the past few days.’
     • ‘Scotland bosses refused to criticise Warwickshire publicly but privately they are fuming.’
     • ‘At times I could have been, publicly not privately, too critical of the players, but now I try to balance it.’
     • ‘Or priests, in like manner who privately say one thing, but very publicly say another.’

• 2By the state rather than an independent, commercial company.

  ‘a publicly owned company’

  More example sentences

  • ‘Another was that high-risk missions should be publicly, rather than privately funded.’
  • ‘Academies are publicly funded independent schools which provide education to students of all abilities.’
  • ‘Is he basically saying these are political organisations publicly funded by another name?’
  • ‘Democratic government needs an independent, publicly funded research community.’
  • ‘And we do this by providing publicly funded health, education and welfare systems.’
  • ‘Party political rows will not be allowed as the sites are publicly funded - although they may link to political pages.’
  • ‘Long-term care would be best if it were publicly funded, publicly built and managed.’
  • ‘Waiting lists come with the territory of publicly funded health systems.’
  • ‘At the one extreme, only a very finite list of services might be publicly funded.’
  • ‘The government maintains that it does not matter who provides the services so long as they are publicly funded.’
  • ‘There will be an order for costs in the appropriate form, bearing in mind that the claimant is publicly funded.’
  • ‘We were not at all wealthy, but it was at a time when the arts were publicly funded and there were free tickets available.’
  • ‘Ultimately, how much a country spends on publicly funded medicines is a value or policy judgment.’
  • ‘She insists that the British consensus around publicly funded healthcare is not eroding.’
  • ‘The purchase fund was a public body and should be publicly accountable.’
  • ‘Taxation of the rich would provide funds aplenty for public investment in publicly owned services.’
  • ‘We want a publicly owned railway and tube system, and he doesn't.’
  • ‘For those of you who aren't British, allotments are pieces of land which are owned publicly and rented out to people to grow things on.’
  • ‘He added that it was not necessary for the airstrip to be publicly owned.’
  • ‘And if necessary, yes, it has to be publicly subsidised to keep down the cost of travel.’