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A word that entails the meaning of "the trait of being public"

English Language & Usage Asked by almosnow on April 11, 2021

I’m looking for a descriptive word to use when referring to something that is public.

It’s better if I give an example:

Consider the adjective red. When something is red you could say it shows some redness.

The same thing with public, but I’m not sure if publicness is a word, and even if it is it just sounds weird.

Edit: Just found out that this class of words are called abstract nouns.

3 Answers

'publicness' is a word. It sounds alright to me, too.

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/publicness

If something is not owned by anyone in particular, we say it is 'public property' or in 'public ownership'.

Answered by Apollonian on April 11, 2021

Even though it is used as an equivalent to press coverage these days, I think publicity is a word that suits your case.

Publicity: the quality or state of being public

(source)

Answered by Nikos Hidalgo on April 11, 2021

While you could go for publicness, it can sound a bit clumsy.

publicness noun The quality, condition, or fact of being public - lexico

You can try synonyms such as exposure, but it might sound better to turn the whole thing around and talk about privacy.

The following Ngram plot suggests that both are more popular choices than publicness.

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Answered by Lawrence on April 11, 2021

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