collocation · neutral
public opinion
/ˌpʌblɪk əˈpɪnjən/PUB·lic o·PIN·ion
Band 4-5speakingtask2
the general view held by the majority of people about a topic
Examples
“Recent polls show that public opinion is shifting against the proposal.”
“Politicians are sensitive to public opinion before elections.”
“Media can shape public opinion on social issues.”
Band 8 sentence
“Public opinion tends to shift quickly following high‑profile scandals, which forces politicians to respond fast.”
Collocations
- shape public opinion
- poll public opinion
Word family
public adjopinion n
Common mistakes
people opinion→public opinion
public's opinion→public opinion
Say it for a higher band
5people's opinion→6public's opinion→7+public opinion
Synonyms
public sentiment
Easily confused
public sentiment
“Public sentiment turned against the proposal after the news broke.”
Related words
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In Society & Government
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