Crowd vs. Public — What's the Difference?

Generally speaking, a crowd is defined as a group of people that have gathered for a common purpose or intent such as at a demonstration, a sports event, or during looting (this is known as an acting crowd), or may simply be made up of many people going about their business in a busy area. The term "the crowd" may sometimes refer to the lower orders of people in general.

In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings.

A large number of persons gathered together; a throng.

Of, concerning, or affecting the community or the people

The common people; the populace.

Maintained for or used by the people or community

A group of people united by a common characteristic, as age, interest, or vocation

Capitalized in shares of stock that can be traded on the open market

A group of people attending a public function; an audience

Participated in or attended by the people or community

A large number of things positioned or considered together.

Connected with or acting on behalf of the people, community, or government

An ancient Celtic stringed instrument that was bowed or plucked. Also called crwth.

Enrolled in or attending a public school

Chiefly British A fiddle.

Open to the knowledge or judgment of all

To gather together in a limited space

The community or the people as a whole.

To move forward by pressing or shoving

A group of people sharing a common interest

To force by pressing or shoving

Admirers or followers, especially of a famous person. See Usage Note at collective noun.

To force away by taking up space; displace

Able to be seen or known by everyone; open to general view, happening without concealment.

To draw or stand very near or too near to

Pertaining to the people as a whole (as opposed to a private group); concerning the whole country, community etc.

To press, cram, or force tightly together

Officially representing the community; carried out or funded by the state on behalf of the community.

To fill or occupy to overflowing

Open to all members of a community; especially, provided by national or local authorities and supported by money from taxes.

(Informal) To put pressure on; assail

(of a company) Traded publicly via a stock market.

(intransitive) To press forward; to advance by pushing.

Accessible to the program in general, not only to the class or any subclasses.

(intransitive) To press together or collect in numbers

The people in general, regardless of membership of any particular group.

(transitive) To press or drive together, especially into a small space; to cram.

(public relations) A particular group or demographic to be targeted.

(transitive) To fill by pressing or thronging together

(archaic) A public house; an inn.

To push, to press, to shove.

Of or pertaining to the people; belonging to the people; relating to, or affecting, a nation, state, or community; - opposed to private; as, the public treasury.

(nautical) To approach another ship too closely when it has right of way.

Open to the knowledge or view of all; general; common; notorious; as, public report; public scandal.

To carry excessive sail in the hope of moving faster.

Open to common or general use; as, a public road; a public house.

(transitive) To press by solicitation; to urge; to dun; hence, to treat discourteously or unreasonably.

The general body of mankind, or of a nation, state, or community; the people, indefinitely; as, the American public; also, a particular body or aggregation of people; as, an author's public.

To play on a crowd; to fiddle.

A public house; an inn.

A group of people congregated or collected into a close body without order.

People in general considered as a whole;

Several things collected or closely pressed together; also, some things adjacent to each other.

A body of people sharing some common interest;

(with definite article) The so-called lower orders of people; the populace, vulgar.

Not private; open to or concerning the people as a whole;

A group of people united or at least characterised by a common interest.

Affecting the people or community as a whole;

(obsolete) crwth

A fiddle.

To push, to press, to shove.

To press or drive together; to mass together.

To fill by pressing or thronging together; hence, to encumber by excess of numbers or quantity.

To press by solicitation; to urge; to dun; hence, to treat discourteously or unreasonably.

To press together or collect in numbers; to swarm; to throng.

To urge or press forward; to force one's self; as, a man crowds into a room.

To play on a crowd; to fiddle.

A number of things collected or closely pressed together; also, a number of things adjacent to each other.

A number of persons congregated or collected into a close body without order; a throng.

The lower orders of people; the populace; the vulgar; the rabble; the mob.

An ancient instrument of music with six strings; a kind of violin, being the oldest known stringed instrument played with a bow.

A large number of things or people considered together;

An informal body of friends;

Cause to herd, drive, or crowd together;

Fill or occupy to the point of overflowing;

To gather together in large numbers;

Approach a certain age or speed;