public figure

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A person who is well known to the public, such as a politician, celebrity or leader.

   Grammar: Preceded by an or an adjective: a prominent public figure.

   Patterns

   • a public figure in something

   The mayor is a well-respected public figure in our town.

   As a public figure, he gets recognized in shops.

   Several public figures attended the memorial.

2. 2nouncountablelegal

   In law, a person whose fame or role makes them open to more public comment and scrutiny than a private citizen.

   Grammar: Used in defamation discussions: she is a public figure.

   Patterns

   • be considered a public figure

   The court ruled that the actor was a public figure.

   A public figure must prove more to win a libel case.

   Private citizens have more privacy than a public figure.

Word forms

Common combinations

a prominent public figure

He became a prominent public figure after the election.

a well-known public figure

A well-known public figure opened the library.

a public figure's privacy

A public figure's privacy is limited.

criticize a public figure

People often criticize a public figure online.

beloved public figure

The doctor was a beloved public figure.

Synonyms and how they differ

celebrity

Celebrity stresses fame and glamour, while public figure also covers serious roles like officials.

personality

Personality in this sense is often used for TV or radio hosts, a narrower group.

dignitary

Dignitary suggests someone of high rank at formal events, a more formal word.

VIP

VIP describes important treatment at an event, not necessarily wide fame.

Opposites

Word family

public adjective

open to or concerning everyone

publicity noun

public attention

publicly adverb

in front of everyone

figure noun

an important person

Commonly confused: public figure or public official?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “public figure”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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