Definitions

public opinion

NOUN

common belief

Synonyms

WEAK

climate of opinion community sentiment consensus gentium conventional wisdom general belief group pressure popular belief prevailing belief prevailing sentiment public belief social pressure special-interest pressure vox pop vox populi

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The move reflects the threat of mass protests that can grind France to a halt and attack companies that run afoul of public opinion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

Our research builds on decades of work showing that public opinion is strongly influenced by media consumption.

From Salon • Jun. 4, 2026

Those in the data center industry are lamenting the state of public opinion.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026

The pope could keep moving the anti-AI needle, as the head of the Catholic Church often can shift public opinion.

From Barron's • May 26, 2026

“I hope you will publicize the fact that you made this plea . . . mainly because of the possibility of public opinion harmful to science,” he wrote Lawrence.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik