public enemy number one

alternative Public Enemy No. 1

1. USdateduncountablegovernmentA person who ranks highest on the federal government's prioritized list of wanted criminal fugitives.First known use 1930s

   John Dillinger, America's Public Enemy No. 1 and the most notorious criminal of recent times, was shot and killed at 10:40 o'clock tonight by Federal agents.

   1934 July 22, en, “Dillinger Slain in Chicago”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 1

   1 more example

   "Sure you never heard of him?" he asked incredulously. "Never," I said flatly. "You must have," he argued. "Why Hamilton was a Public Enemy No. 1 at one time."

   1946, George Johnston, Skyscrapers in the Mist, page 119

2. figurativelyuncountableA person, organization, or other object considered to be particularly menacing, harmful, or loathsome.

   The Isle of Man's public enemy number one—the rabbit—can breathe easier today. The price on its head, or tail, was revoked.

   1995 October 12, Peter Victor, “A tale of Flopsy, Mopsy and public enemy No 1”, in The Independent, London: Independent News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC

   3 more examples

   The fact is that Reaganomics slowed down the breakneck economy and succeeded in defeating public enemy number one, runaway inflation.

   1983 January 17, William Safire, “Essay: The Midterm Crisis”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC

   As sugar has become public enemy number one in the battle against obesity, many Americans have fed their sweet tooth with artificially sweetened diet drinks.

   2014 January 27, Deborah Kotz, “Are no-calorie sweeteners safe?”, in Boston Globe, archived from the original on 17 Oct 2016

   “I wasn’t a researcher anymore, I was Pol Pot, Stalin, Hitler,” Mr. Moreno said. “I have become, in one week, Public Enemy No. 1.”

   2023 March 28, Tiffany Hsu, quoting Carolos Moreno, “He Wanted to Unclog Cities. Now He’s ‘Public Enemy No. 1.’”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC