public sentiment
The masses' mood
Public sentiment is the collective opinion or feeling of a population on a given issue: Public sentiment turned against the war.
Politicians and businesses track public sentiment to gauge support or opposition.
The phrase often appears in contexts where popular opinion exerts pressure on policy or institutions: No law can stand long against public sentiment.
- vox populiVoice of the people
- groundswellGrowing public sentiment
- popular opinionWidely held belief
- pollingSystematic opinion gathering
- attitudesSettled ways of feeling
zeitgeist · survey · man on the street · outrage · pulse · collective memory · propaganda · consensus · activism · grassroots movements · ideology · voting · persuasion · hearts and minds · protests · backlash · petitions · norms
- public opinionpolls, poll, approval, disapproval, consensus
- surveyspoll, polls, survey, surveys, questionnaire
- wartime moralemorale, patriotism, war effort, fighting spirit, national unity