public enemy

SEE SYNONYMS FOR public enemy ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person or thing considered a danger or menace to the public, especially a wanted criminal widely sought by the F.B.I. and local police forces.
a nation or government with which one's own is at war.

Origin of public enemy

First recorded in 1750–60

Words nearby public enemy

public convenience, public corporation, public debt, public defender, public domain, public enemy, public enemy number one, public enterprise, public expenditure, public eye, public footpath

Words related to public enemy

criminal, felon, gangster, lawbreaker, malevolent, outlaw, racketeer, villain, perpetrator, scofflaw

British Dictionary definitions for public enemy

public enemy

noun

a notorious person, such as a criminal, who is regarded as a menace to the public