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• propaganda
  propaganda

  noun

  information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, etc.
• Propaganda
  Propaganda

  noun

  RC Church a congregation responsible for directing the work of the foreign missions and the training of priests for these

propaganda

American  

[prop-uh-gan-duh] / ˌprɒp əˈgæn də /

noun

1. information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, etc.

2. the deliberate spreading of such information, rumors, etc.

3. the particular doctrines or principles propagated by an organization or movement.

4. Roman Catholic Church.

   1. a committee of cardinals, established in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV, having supervision over foreign missions and the training of priests for these missions.

   2. a school College of Propaganda established by Pope Urban VIII for the education of priests for foreign missions.

5. Archaic. an organization or movement for the spreading of propaganda.

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Propaganda ¹ British  

/ ˌprɒpəˈɡændə /

noun

1. RC Church a congregation responsible for directing the work of the foreign missions and the training of priests for these

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propaganda ² British  

/ ˌprɒpəˈɡændə /

noun

1. the organized dissemination of information, allegations, etc, to assist or damage the cause of a government, movement, etc

2. such information, allegations, etc

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propaganda Cultural  

1. Official government communications to the public that are designed to influence opinion. The information may be true or false, but it is always carefully selected for its political effect.

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Other Word Forms

• propagandism
  noun
• propagandist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of propaganda

First recorded in 1710–20; from New Latin, short for congregātiō dē propāgandā fidē “congregation for propagating the faith”; propāgandā, ablative singular feminine gerundive of propāgāre; see propagate

Explanation

Propaganda is the spreading of information in support of a cause. It’s not so important whether the information is true or false or if the cause is just or not — it’s all propaganda. The word propaganda is often used in a negative sense, especially for politicians who make false claims to get elected or spread rumors to get their way. In fact, any campaign that is used to persuade can be called propaganda.

Example Sentences

But on Wednesday morning, the head of the Islamic Propaganda Co-ordination Council of Tehran province told the hardline Tasnim news agency that it had been decided to postpone the ceremony until "a more appropriate time".

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026

Propaganda themes are not uncommon in the “Hunger Games” franchise, which originally followed teenage Katniss Everdeen as she reluctantly led a revolution against the tyrannical Panem government and its president, Coriolanus Snow.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2024

Propaganda is central to the Kim family’s Stalinist grip on power.

From New York Times • May 8, 2024

Propaganda is communication designed to bypass critical and rational examination in order to provoke intended emotional, attitudinal or behavioral responses from an audience.

From Salon • Feb. 23, 2024

“It wasn’t herself who mattered. It was the others—and discipline. For that, no sacrifice is too great, no matter how many tears are shed,” proclaimed a statement from the Ministry of Propaganda.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

Related Words

• disinformation
• hype
• indoctrination
• publicity