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公知

Mandarin · pinyin gōng zhī

public intellectual (sometimes used derogatorily) (abbr. for 公共知識分子 gōng gòng zhī shi fèn zǐ)

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Characters in this entry

公: gōng · fair, equitable; public; duke
知: zhī · know, perceive, comprehend

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Mandarin tones

1–1 · gong1 zhi1

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

noun

(neologism, often disapprovingly) short for 公共知識分子／公共知识分子 (gōnggòng zhīshifènzǐ, “public intellectuals”)

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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