promotion

American  

[pruh-moh-shuhn] / prəˈmoʊ ʃən /

noun

• promotions
  plural

1. advancement in rank or position.

2. furtherance or encouragement.

3. the act of promoting.

4. the state of being promoted.

5. something devised to publicize or advertise a product, cause, institution, etc., as a brochure, free sample, poster, television or radio commercial, or personal appearance.

6. Also called queening.  Chess. the replacement of a pawn that has reached the enemy's first rank by a more powerful piece of the same color, usually a queen.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonpromotion
  noun
• prepromotion
  noun
• self-promotion
  noun
• promotional
  adjective
• unpromotional
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• promotions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of promotion

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Late Latin prōmōtiōn-, stem of prōmōtiō “movement forward, advancement”; equivalent to promote + -ion

Explanation

A promotion is a raise in pay or stature, or it's a way to raise the profile or attention of something. If you create an advertising promotion that increases sales of spray jeans in a can, for example, you might get a promotion to company vice-president. Words that start with pro- usually hint at something positive or forward moving, and a promotion is a moving up or a motion forward. A product promotion pushes the item out in front so it gets more exposure, and a work or school promotion raises your salary or moves you up a grade. If you’re in the military a promotion means a higher rank, with more people under your command, and the same happens if you earn a promotion in a club or organization like the scouts.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

promotion promotions

Around 5% of respondents believed their accent had cost them a promotion, pay rise or senior role.

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

She said: "As it was with tobacco, strong controls on marketing and promotion will be key to reducing youth vaping."

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

He hit .287 with 20 homers in 2025 with his improved mechanics, earning a promotion to Double-A for the first time.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

“They continue to be very affected by promotion patterns. So none of that has changed.”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 16, 2026

Hatred of Jews was entrenched in all levels of the tsarist government, and though Jews also served in the military, promotion was dependent upon conversion.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

She said she is also being paid by a local nail salon and waxing parlor—to the tune of $600 per post—for promotions related to her nuptials.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026

For someone who has enjoyed a glittering 21-year career, winning titles across multiple promotions, you would think it would be difficult to pinpoint one standout moment.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

In the 17 years which have followed, Cyborg has won 21 of her 22 fights and secured further world titles in promotions such as the UFC, Bellator and PFL.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Once elevated to his new posts, Salisbury took charge of carrying out the second Trump administration’s agenda for HSI, personally issuing staffing directives, reassignments and promotions, current and former agency officials told ProPublica.

From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026

“Think you can get us some promotions with them raises?”

From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas