Going public is a term often used to describe a company's decision to offer shares to the public through an initial public offering (IPO). Some common synonyms for "go public" include "launch an IPO," "list on the stock exchange," "offer shares to the public," or "become a publicly traded company." Other related terms include "going private" (when a publicly traded company becomes privately held) and "secondary offering" (when a company already publicly traded issues new shares to the public). Regardless of the term used, going public is a significant milestone for a company, often representing a significant shift in its operations and business strategy.