The word 公道 (gōngdào) is a compound formed by combining two characters, each with its own meaning, to create a new, abstract concept. The first character, 公 (gōng), carries the core ideas of "public", "fair", and "impartial". The second character, 道 (dào), means "path", "way", or "principle". When combined, 公 modifies 道 to mean "the principle of fairness" or "the way of impartiality". Thus, the term semantically signifies "justice", "fairness", or "reasonableness", conceptualizing an equitable standard or a morally correct path that applies to all in the public sphere.