publicity

noun

pub·​lic·​i·​ty (ˌ)pə-ˈbli-sə-tē How to pronounce publicity (audio)
-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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Meanwhile, there have been many articles and books commemorating the milestone; one of the latter made headlines Friday for a publicity gaffe involving Tina Fey and Jon Hamm. Judy Berman, TIME, 17 Feb. 2025 One possible reason Trump's arrest rate isn't matching Biden's: The publicity surrounding the new president's tough talk on immigration has fueled a dramatic dip in the number of people trying to enter the U.S. illegally on the southern border. Axios, 14 Feb. 2025 Others involved with the film, meanwhile, distanced themselves from Gascón, as she was visibly removed from the film’s publicity campaign. Lisa Respers France, CNN, 14 Feb. 2025 In the process, it’s become the one piece of swag critics brag about receiving, posting photos on social media as soon as the set arrives at their doorsteps — and, not coincidentally, providing Neon with ample free publicity. Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for publicity

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of publicity was in 1609

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Cite this Entry

“Publicity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/publicity. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

publicity

noun
pub·​lic·​i·​ty (ˌ)pə-ˈblis-ət-ē How to pronounce publicity (audio)
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

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