promotion

American  

[pruh-moh-shuhn] / prəˈmoʊ ʃən /

noun

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

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

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

Example Sentences

Nile’s model aims to lift the burden of constant promotion from online and offline celebrities.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

A promotion to triple-A Spokane came in 1970.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

“In an environment where you’re fighting for a promotion … It’s just a further incentive to agents to engage in this kind of activity. So it’s pernicious on multiple levels.”

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

Although when asked about what that point means in terms of the wider context of Hull's season, Jakirovic was talking more play-offs than automatic promotion.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

“If there is one chance in ten that he’ll be one of the top physicists in the country, I’ll take that chance,” he declared in approving Lawrence’s promotion.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik