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

• hype
• advertising
• advertisement

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

Given the wildly inconsistent rulings on the right of publicity at the state level, there is a desperate need for uniform federal legislation on this issue, as there is for copyright and trademark. —Schuyler Moore, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025

So the girls have settled for taking the satisfaction that comes not from an equal amount of publicity to their male counterparts, but from beating the shorts off the boys at any and every opportunity. —Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 13 Aug. 2025

With a client base that spans film, television, music, theater and publishing, imPRint continues to reimagine personal publicity for the modern era — one that is global, multi-platform and narrative-driven. —Justin Kroll, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2025

Even so, the right to publicity only covers commercial use—for example, if a chatbot based on a dead person was sold or used in a movie. —PC Magazine, 10 Aug. 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

Rhymes for publicity

• basicity
• chronicity
• complicity
• cyclicity
• duplicity
• ethnicity
• facticity
• felicity
• helicity
• plasticity
• rusticity
• simplicity

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