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

Nvidia, OpenAI and Anthropic all declined to comment, but it appears to be about brand promotion and reputation management.

From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026

For instance, in San Antonio, Texas, major homebuilder Lennar was offering potential buyers a promotion in September of a mortgage rate as low as 3.5% for an initial period.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026

It works through hiring, promotion, grants, publication and reputation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026

The second part of this drama comes on Sunday, a league game that could not have been better set up had Eddie Hearn been involved in the promotion.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

It’s in honor of your promotion to mechanic.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

They began life in the Crawley & District League and, 25 years, 12 promotions and just one relegation later, they now play in National League South.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

T-Mobile’s promotions include offering between $300 and $1,200 off 18 Pro models, depending on the service plan and device traded in, as well as deals on new Apple Watches and accessories.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026

In the past, those purges usually led to another cycle of manager hiring and promotions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

Billboards along Southern California freeways have broadcast the Angels’ desperate attempts to draw in fans via pathetic promotions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026

Those who lose jobs or decline promotions to let the children finish high school where they currently are sometimes relocate in place.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times