publicity

noun

pub·​lic·​i·​ty (ˌ)pə-ˈbli-sə-tē 

-ˈbli-stē

1

: the quality or state of being public

2

a

: an act or device designed to attract public interest

specifically : information with news value issued as a means of gaining public attention or support

b

: the dissemination of information or promotional material

c

: paid advertising

d

: public attention or acclaim

Synonyms

• ballyhoo
• hype
• puffery

Examples of publicity in a Sentence

His public appearances are good publicity for the new movie.

An arrest for drunk driving is bad publicity for any celebrity.

The film has gotten some good publicity.

She has received a lot of publicity for her latest novel.

The studio spent a lot of money on publicity for the movie.

Recent Examples on the Web

Goldman also flagged how Combs had years of good publicity and a fan base, which might work to his advantage. —Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 23 Jan. 2025

Now their pursuit of publicity has morphed them into versions of the same persona—the attention troll. —Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025

Of course, publicity surrounding the elite schools is part of a larger issue, just as people would rather read about celebrities than those who aren’t. —David Galef/chicago Tribune, Boston Herald, 19 Jan. 2025

The negative publicity over LifeWallet’s SEC disclosures has already cost the company business. —Ben Wieder and, Miami Herald, 17 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin pūblicitāt-, pūblicitās, from Latin pūblicus public entry 1 + -itāt-, -itās -ity

First Known Use

1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing publicity

• publicity stunt

Kids Definition

publicity

noun

pub·​lic·​i·​ty (ˌ)pə-ˈblis-ət-ē 

1

: the condition of being public or publicly known

2

: an act or device designed to attract public interest

especially : information with a news value designed to further the interests of a place, person, or cause

3

a

: an action that gains public attention

b

: the attention so gained