Meanings
plural public houses
- A bar or tavern, often selling food and sometimes lodging; an inn.
Near-synonyms: bar, taphouse, roadhouse (not always different); see also Thesaurus:pub
1 more example
Those of us who care for the nation's defence have been astonished to hear that confidential documents have been left in a public house.
1990, House of Cards, season 1, episode 1Synonyms: bar, taphouse, roadhouse, alehouse, boozer, boozing ken, bousing ken, drinker
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA bar or tavern, often selling food and sometimes lodging; an inn.
More synonyms by meaning
nountavern consisting of a building with a bar and public rooms; often provides light meals
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Cite this entry
public house. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/public%20house
“public house.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/public%20house. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “public house,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/public%20house.
Source: public house on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.