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Meaning & use

make public

phrase·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌmeɪk ˈpʌblɪk/
US/ˌmeɪk ˈpʌblɪk/

Meanings

  1. phrasetransitive

    to tell the public about something that was private or secret, so that everyone can know it

    Grammar: Takes an object: make a report public. The object usually comes before 'public', but it can also come after: make public the findings (formal).

    Patterns

    • make something public
    • make public something

    The company decided to make its financial results public.

    The government made public the details of the new law.

    She was angry that her private messages had been made public.

  2. phrasetransitive

    to officially announce something or release information to everyone

    Grammar: Often used in news and official contexts, with words like 'report', 'findings', 'plan', 'apology'.

    Patterns

    • make a report public
    • make the findings public

    The police made the suspect's name public after the trial.

    The university made the research findings public last week.

Common combinations

make something public
They made the agreement public after months of talks.
make public a report
The committee voted to make public a report on safety.
make the news public
The family did not want to make the news public.
be made public
The documents were made public under the freedom of information law.

Synonyms and how they differ

reveal
Reveal is more general and can be used for facts, feelings, or secrets; make public specifically means telling everyone, often officially.
disclose
Disclose is formal and often used for information that was hidden; make public is more neutral and focuses on the public knowing.
publish
Publish usually means printing or posting something for people to read; make public can be any way of telling the public.

Opposites

keep privatekeep secretconceal

Word family

publicity noun
Attention from the public, often in the media.
publicize verb
To make something known to many people, especially to promote it.
publicly adverb
In a way that everyone can see or know.

Commonly confused: make public or publish?

make public vs publish

Publish means to produce a book, article, or post for people to read; make public means to let everyone know something, not necessarily in print.

Practice

The judge decided to ___ the evidence ___ after the trial.

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