propaganda
[prop-uh-gan-duh]
- information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, etc.
- the deliberate spreading of such information, rumors, etc.
- the particular doctrines or principles propagated by an organization or movement.
- Roman Catholic Church.
- a committee of cardinals, established in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV, having supervision over foreign missions and the training of priests for these missions.
- a school (College of Propaganda) established by Pope Urban VIII for the education of priests for foreign missions.
- Archaic. an organization or movement for the spreading of propaganda.
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Origin of propaganda
1710–20; < New Latin, short for congregātiō dē propāgandā fidē congregation for propagating the faith; propāgandā, ablative singular feminine gerundive of propāgāre; see propagate
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
hype, indoctrination, publicity, disinformation, hogwash, announcement, publication, promulgation, brainwashing, handout, advertising, doctrine, promotion, evangelism, inculcation, implantation, agitprop, newspeak, proselytismExamples from the Web for propaganda
Contemporary Examples
This is not the first time the director has fallen for Russian propaganda.
President Park understood the power of cinema as propaganda.
To the Republic of Korea and United States military personnel stationed in the JSA, it is known as Propaganda Village.
Would a state with a keen understanding of the power of propaganda be so willing to just throw away such a trove of information?
Beck is a close student of history and propaganda, and especially the history of propaganda.
Historical Examples
"If I work at all, it ought to be this propaganda job," Eric suggested.
The Education of Eric LaneStephen McKenna
Propaganda for the war interests, propaganda for the financiers.
The Martian CabalRoman Frederick Starzl
The planetary rulers had taken no chances of tampering with their propaganda.
The Martian CabalRoman Frederick Starzl
But somehow the telepathy stuff didn't work at all according to propaganda.
Mixed FacesRoy Norton
If the Socialist movement is to succeed in America, it must recognize this fact in its propaganda.
SocialismJohn Spargo
propaganda
- the organized dissemination of information, allegations, etc, to assist or damage the cause of a government, movement, etc
- such information, allegations, etc
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Word Origin
C18: from Italian, use of propāgandā in the New Latin title Sacra Congregatio de Propaganda Fide Sacred Congregation for Propagating the Faith
Propaganda
- RC Church a congregation responsible for directing the work of the foreign missions and the training of priests for these
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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
Word Origin and History for propaganda
n.
1718, "committee of cardinals in charge of Catholic missionary work," short for Congregatio de Propaganda Fide "congregation for propagating the faith," a committee of cardinals established 1622 by Gregory XV to supervise foreign missions. The word is properly the ablative fem. gerundive of Latin propagare (see propagation). Hence, "any movement to propagate some practice or ideology" (1790). Modern political sense dates from World War I, not originally pejorative. Meaning "material or information propagated to advance a cause, etc." is from 1929.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
propaganda
Official government communications to the public that are designed to influence opinion. The information may be true or false, but it is always carefully selected for its political effect.
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The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.