This is the 10399th most frequent German word.
public
The German word for "public" is "öffentlich," meaning "open to everyone; not private."
In this sentence, 'öffentlich' (public) is used as an adjective to describe 'Meinung' (opinion), referring to the collective perspective shared by the general populace.
Die öffentliche Meinung ist oft schwer zu verstehen.
Public opinion is often hard to understand.
Here, 'Öffentlichkeit' (public) is a noun used to denote all members of society collectively, indicating the general population.
Der Park ist für die Öffentlichkeit zugänglich.
The park is accessible to the public.
In this sentence, 'öffentlich' (publicly) serves as an adverb, modifying 'geäußertes Kommentar' (expressed comment), emphasizing that the expression was made in a manner accessible to the public.