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Synonyms

publication

American  
[puhb-li-key-shuhn] / ˌpʌb lɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

  1. the act of publishing a book, periodical, map, piece of music, engraving, or the like.

  2. the act of bringing before the public; announcement.

  3. the state or fact of being published.

  4. something that is published, especially a periodical.

publication British  
/ ˌpʌblɪˈkeɪʃən /

noun

  1. the act or process of publishing a printed work

  2. any printed work offered for sale or distribution

  3. the act or an instance of making information public

  4. the act of disseminating defamatory matter, esp by communicating it to a third person See libel slander

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of publication

1350–1400; Middle English publicacioun < Latin pūblicātiōn- (stem of pūblicātiō ) a making public, confiscation, equivalent to pūblicāt ( us ) (past participle of pūblicāre to make public ) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

A publication is something made to communicate with the public. Publications are usually printed on paper (like magazines and books), but online publications are delivered via the Internet. The noun publication comes from the Latin word publicare, meaning “make public.” Publication usually means something is written and made available publicly, but a company or government can submit publications of things like earnings or unemployment indexes that are communicated differently. If you are an aspiring author, publication of your work is, most likely, the Holy Grail you seek.

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Vocabulary lists containing publication

National Librarian Day

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Reading: Informational - Middle School

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Media Literacy - High School

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

There are many nuances to this requirement; for more information, see IRS Publication 523.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

Publication of the ruling in the official gazette Monday effectively finalized the legal process, and the decision is not subject to appeal.

From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026

You can find out more information from IRS Publication 523, Selling Your Home.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 15, 2026

Publication of the new guidance means offshore developers can submit their applications for consent to extract oil and gas in already-licensed fields.

From BBC • Jun. 19, 2025

Consider, for example, Riverbank Publication No. 17, the first paper that set out their basic working methods.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.