in public
prep. phr..prep. phr.. in a place where other people can see or hear you.
prep. phr.. in a location or situation where one is visible to or audible by the general community; not in private.
It is rude to shout in public.
The famous actor rarely appears in public without wearing a hat and sunglasses to avoid being recognized.
While the politician maintained a stoic expression in public, his private journals revealed a man deeply troubled by the recent scandal.
functions as an adverbial phrase and does not require an article before 'public'.
contrast with 'in private' to show the binary nature of the expression; remind students that 'public' here acts as a noun within a fixed phrase.
He was crying in the public.He was crying in public.the fixed phrase 'in public' does not use the definite article 'the' unless referring to a specific public group.