Publicly

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /ˈpʌblɪkli/

Definitions

1. In a manner that is open to or visible by people in general, rather than in private
2. In a manner that allows actions or information to be seen by everyone rather than being kept confidential
3. In a way that is accessible to all people and not restricted, allowing for general observation and awareness by the community

Etymology: "Publicly" is a plain formation: the adjective "public" with the suffix "-ly" attached. That suffix has a long pedigree of its own. It descends from a Proto-Germanic word meaning "body" or "form," which was used to build adjectives meaning "having the appearance or quality of" something, and which in Old English became "-līce," the source of the adverb-making ending that English later shortened to "-ly." So the word is really the adjective "public" put into the adverbial shape that "quickly" and "slowly" also take. Words built this way show how a suffix can outlast its original meaning. The "-ly" in "publicly" no longer carries any sense of bodily form; it simply tells you that the word describes a manner of doing something. The adjective beneath it, "public," is itself a borrowing from Latin "publicus," which was derived from "populus," "the people." The adverb therefore means, at root, "in a way belonging to the people as a whole."

Synonyms: openly, overtly, clearly, transparently, visibly

Antonyms: privately, secretly, covertly, discreetly, confidentially