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

The 25-year-old has consistently chosen privacy over publicity, whilst confirming in August that she’s been in a relationship for over two years. —Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 10 Dec. 2024

Perhaps a little unfortunate given the recent bad publicity for a couple of different criminal networks using the same Matrix nomenclature. —Davey Winder, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024

At launch, #GivingTuesday was just an idea, some publicity, a social media hashtag, and a package of advice and branding for organizations anywhere that wanted to participate. —Kelsey Piper, Vox, 3 Dec. 2024

After Gabby’s murder, Joe, along with his wife Tara, Gabby’s mom Nichole Schmidt and her husband Jim, found purpose and healing by using the enormous publicity generated by the tragic case to try to prevent similar tragedies. —Christine Pelisek, People.com, 29 Nov. 2024

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