expression
publicly; openly; on the surface
Used when something is done or expressed in a way that is visible to others, often contrasting with hidden or private actions. Common in negative or contrastive contexts.
彼は表立って反対はしなかったが、内心では不満だった。
He didn't openly oppose it, but inwardly he was dissatisfied.
その問題はまだ表立って議論されていない。
The issue hasn't been discussed publicly yet.
公然と emphasizes an action done in public without hiding, often with a nuance of defiance or boldness. 表立って is more neutral and often used in negative sentences or to describe the absence of public expression.
表面 is a noun meaning 'surface' or 'outward appearance'. 表立って is an adverbial expression focusing on the manner of action being public or visible.
Derived from 表 (おもて, 'front, public') + 立つ (たつ, 'to stand') in its て-form, literally 'standing in the open'. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the expression has been used since at least the Edo period.