verejnosti

Verejnosti is the genitive singular form of the Slovak noun verejnosť, meaning the public, the general populace, or the sphere of public life. In Slovak usage the term denotes the body of citizens considered as a social group and is often used in reference to public opinion or the realm of public discourse. In Czech, the cognate form veřejnosti (with diacritics) serves a similar function, and in both languages the word can indicate the audience of media, government, or public institutions, as well as the idea of public life separating from private life.

In academic, journalistic, and legal contexts, verejnosti is used to discuss transparency, participation, and the rights and duties of citizens. Phrases commonly encountered include forma: public opinion (názor verejnosti), according to the public (podľa verejnosti), or the public’s right to information (právo verejnosti na informácie). The concept is closely linked to the public sphere, a space for open discussion of matters of common interest, a notion developed in sociology and political theory and often associated with the work of Jürgen Habermas.

Language note: verejnosti appears as a case form of verejnosť in Slovak and as a diacritically marked form (veřejnosti) in Czech. The exact form used depends on the grammatical role in a sentence.

See also: public sphere, public opinion, mass media, transparency, civil society.