member of the public
Person without authority
A member of the public is an ordinary person, someone without special status, credentials, or insider access in a given context.
The phrase distinguishes civilians from officials, outsiders from professionals, or spectators from participants: The hearing was open to members of the public.
It often appears in bureaucratic or legal language where organizations interact with the general population.
- average JoeUnremarkable common person
- man on the streetCommon person, not expert
- neighborPerson living nearby
- citizenLegal national member
- civilianNon-military person
private citizen · customer · attendee · audience · passerby · innocent bystander · resident · layperson · voter · client · taxpayer · petitioner · onlooker · casual observer · witness · stranger · bystander · crowd
member of the publicinsider
One with confidential access
initiate · stakeholder · VIP · participant · affiliate
member of the publicofficial
Authority-sanctioned person or status
authority · public servant · government official · office holder · civil servant
member of the publicofficial
Authority-sanctioned person or status
professional · expert · officer · specialist · practitioner
member, members, membership, public, publicly, publication, publish, publisher, publishing