promoter

American  

[pruh-moh-ter] / prəˈmoʊ tər /

noun

1. a person or thing that promotes, furthers, or encourages.

2. a person who initiates or takes part in the organizing of a company, development of a project, etc.

3. a person who organizes and provides financial backing for a sporting event or entertainment.

4. Chemistry. any substance that in small amounts is capable of increasing the activity of a catalyst.

5. Also called collector.  Metallurgy. a water-repellent reagent enhancing the ability of certain ores to float so that they can be extracted by the flotation process.

6. Genetics.

   1. a site on a DNA molecule at which RNA polymerase binds and initiates transcription.

   2. a gene sequence that activates transcription.

7. Obsolete. an informer.

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promoter British  

/ prəˈməʊtə /

noun

1. a person or thing that promotes

2. a person who helps to organize, develop, or finance an undertaking

3. a person who organizes and finances a sporting event, esp a boxing match

4. chem a substance added in small amounts to a catalyst to increase its activity

5. genetics a sequence of nucleotides, associated with a structural gene, that must bind with messenger RNA polymerase before transcription can proceed

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promoter Scientific  

/ prə-mō′tər /

1. The region of an operon that acts as the initial binding site for RNA polymerase.

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Other Word Forms

• self-promoter noun

Etymology

Origin of promoter

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; promote + -er ¹; replacing earlier promotour, from Anglo-French

Example Sentences

Benn, who is a major UK music industry figure and event promoter, agreed that West's past behaviour was "abhorrent" and "disgusting".

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

He said that through a nightlife promoter, he was introduced to Pierre Louis, a fixer who specialized in getting rich people what they wanted.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

Earlier this month, UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall signed a "commercial and advisory" deal with boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, to maximise his earnings outside the UFC.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026

Rapino helped build Live Nation from its inception in 2005 into the world’s biggest concert promoter through a series of acquisitions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

The Washington visit launched Lawrence into the role of the hydrogen bomb’s most prominent and credible promoter.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• advertiser
• advocate
• backer
• booster
• organizer
• publicist
• sponsor