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.
the organized dissemination of information, allegations, etc, to assist or damage the cause of a government, movement, etc
such information, allegations, etc
First recorded in 1710–20; from New Latin, short for congregātiō dē propāgandā fidē “congregation for propagating the faith”; propāgandā, ablative singular feminine gerundive of propāgāre; see propagate
Propaganda is the spreading of information in support of a cause. It’s not so important whether the information is true or false or if the cause is just or not — it’s all propaganda. The word propaganda is often used in a negative sense, especially for politicians who make false claims to get elected or spread rumors to get their way. In fact, any campaign that is used to persuade can be called propaganda.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In 1803, Napoleon brought it to Paris as a propaganda tool for his planned invasion of England, and it was moved a second time to Paris in World War Two.
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026
It was unclear how many accounts had been hacked, with Bluesky removing many of the propaganda posts or suspending affected accounts until their owners stepped forward to regain control.
From Barron's • May 29, 2026
But as the survey shows, decades of propaganda and myth-making have taken their toll.
From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026
“You have that sense of authenticity, like a friend is talking to you,” said Emma Briant, a professor at Notre Dame University’s Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society who studies propaganda.
From Los Angeles Times • May 24, 2026
It provided a nonstop stream of company-related news and propaganda.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
