propaganda

[prop-uh-gan-duh]

noun

1. information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, etc.

2. the deliberate spreading of such information, rumors, etc.

3. the particular doctrines or principles propagated by an organization or movement.

4. Roman Catholic Church.

   1. a committee of cardinals, established in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV, having supervision over foreign missions and the training of priests for these missions.

   2. a school College of Propaganda established by Pope Urban VIII for the education of priests for foreign missions.

5. Archaic.,  an organization or movement for the spreading of propaganda.

Propaganda

¹

/ ˌprɒpəˈɡændə /

noun

1. RC Church a congregation responsible for directing the work of the foreign missions and the training of priests for these

propaganda

²

/ ˌprɒpəˈɡændə /

noun

1. the organized dissemination of information, allegations, etc, to assist or damage the cause of a government, movement, etc

2. such information, allegations, etc

propaganda

1. 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.

Other Word Forms

• propagandism noun
• propagandist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of propaganda¹

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; propagate

Word History and Origins

Origin of propaganda¹

C18: from Italian, use of propāgandā in the New Latin title Sacra Congregatio de Propaganda Fide Sacred Congregation for Propagating the Faith

Example Sentences

Convicted of "propaganda against the system", he was sentenced to six years in jail but served only two months behind bars before being released on bail.

Read more on Barron's

In 2014, Buzzfeed News reported on the Internet Research Agency, a “troll farm” based in Russia that waged an organized propaganda campaign across social media.

Read more on Salon

The opening scene reveals that Dorothy’s road map to Emerald City originated as a form of visual propaganda, reinforcing the Wizard’s rule in every corner of Oz.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Islamic State has targeted the camps and prisons with propaganda and messages to stir unrest—part of the reason the most dangerous prisoners held in Al Sina are kept under an information blackout.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In her resignation letter, Gen. Tomer-Yerushalmi wrote that she approved the leak “to counter the false propaganda directed against the military law enforcement authorities.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• disinformation 
• hype 
• indoctrination 
• publicity