公布|こうふkoufu[0]heiban (flat)

1. noun, suru verb, transitive verbofficial proclamation; announcement; promulgation (e.g. of regulations)

• Synonym布告ふこくWrittenWritten/formal prose. A state formally proclaiming a decision to the public, as in 「宣戦布告」; loftier than 「公布」, which is specifically promulgating laws in the gazette.
• Synonym声明せいめいFormalFormal. Publicly stating one's opinions or attitude, as in 「抗議声明」; the focus is on the speaker's stance.
• Synonym公表こうひょうWrittenWritten/formal prose. Making information public so people know it, as in 「結果を公表」; covers a much wider range of objects than 「公布」, not just laws.
• Synonym発布はっぷFormalFormal. Promulgating a constitution or law, as in 「憲法発布」; close to 「公布」 but mostly used for constitutions in historical contexts.
• Synonym発表はっぴょうNeutralNeutral. Announcing or presenting something, as at a results presentation; the broadest of these words and not limited to official use.
• Synonym告示こくじWrittenWritten/formal prose. A government agency formally notifying the public; stresses administrative notification rather than the promulgation of a law itself.
• Synonym公示こうじWrittenWritten/formal prose. Public bodies posting official notices, as in 「選挙の公示」; centers on procedural announcements such as elections.
• Synonym公告こうこくWrittenWritten/formal prose. Announcements by government offices or companies in the gazette or newspapers; centers on legally required public notices.
• Synonym宣布せんぷFormalFormal. Formally making something widely known; can also mean spreading it around. Fairly rare.
• Related宣言せんげんFormalFormal. An individual or group publicly declaring its views or policy, as in 「独立宣言」; the emphasis is on stating a position.
• Related声明せいめいFormalFormal. Publicly stating one's opinions or attitude, as in 「抗議声明」; the focus is on the speaker's stance.
• Related告知こくちNeutralNeutral. Notifying or informing; also used for advance publicity. The emphasis is on getting the word to the people concerned or to the public.
• RelatedアナウンスNeutralNeutral. Loanword for announcements, typically broadcast over a PA system but also in writing; the emphasis is on reaching the general public.
• Related告げるつげるNeutralNeutral. A native verb for telling or announcing, as in 「別れを告げる」; the emphasis is on conveying something.
• Related知らせるしらせるCasualColloquial. The everyday verb for letting someone know; the most common choice in daily life, with no official flavor.
• Relatedお達しおたっしFormalFormal. A notice or order handed down from a superior, as in 「上からのお達し」; also an Edo-period proclamation.
• Related宣するせんするWrittenWritten/formal prose. A verb meaning to declare, as in 「開会を宣する」; uncommon.
• Related告達こくたつWrittenWritten/formal prose. Passing on a notice; rare — in everyday speech say 「通知」.
• Related触れふれWrittenWritten/formal prose. An official proclamation issued by the authorities, usually as 「お触れ」; common in historical contexts.
• Related布令ふれいFormalFormal. The same word as the 「触れ」 above, also written 「布令」, with the same meaning.
• Related宣べ伝えるのべつたえるWrittenWritten/formal prose. Proclaiming and spreading something important such as religious teachings; carries a religious flavor, with the stress on dissemination.
• Related布達ふたつWrittenWritten/formal prose. Government offices or superiors communicating decisions down to subordinates; also an administrative order from before 1886.
• Antonym秘匿ひとくWrittenWritten/formal prose. Antonym: hiding something away in secret, the opposite of 「公布」, which makes things public.
• Antonym非公開ひこうかいNeutralNeutral. Antonym: not open to the public, the opposite of 「公布」, which makes things known to all.

Use 「公布」 for the official promulgation of laws and treaties in the official gazette, as in 「法律の公布」 and 「公布日」. For making things public in general, say 「公表」 or 「発表」; for promulgating a constitution, 「発布」; for notices issued by a government agency, 「告示」. The antonym is 「秘匿」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 法令ほうれい・条約じょうやくなどを官報かんぽうに公表こうひょうして一般いっぱんの人ひとに知しらせること。