public relations

See more synonyms for public relations on Thesaurus.com

noun

(used with a plural verb) the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc.
(used with a singular verb) the art, technique, or profession of promoting such goodwill.

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Origin of public relations

First recorded in 1800–10

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

hype, marketing, propaganda, publicity, PR

Examples from the Web for public relations

Contemporary Examples

But calorie counts can only get you so far in the public-relations game.
Do You Want Wine With Those Fries?
Abby Haglage
October 1, 2013
For Republicans, a government shutdown could be a public-relations disaster.
Ex-Republican Congressman: Shutdown Is a ‘Dangerous Game’
Steve LaTourette
September 30, 2013
This opinion can be viewed as no more than a public-relations release for the court and, by extension, the Obama administration.
Pentagon Papers’ James C. Goodale: The Outrageous NSA Opinion
James C. Goodale
September 19, 2013
“The brand is scaling,” said Gabby Cohen, the public-relations and marketing director at SoulCycle.
SoulCycle Is a Booming Exercise Chain for the 1 Percent
Filipa Ioannou
July 19, 2013
But for Morales himself, Snowden could provide a public-relations boost back home.
Is Edward Snowden Bound for Bolivia? Evo Morales Sure Seems to Hope So
Eli Lake, Mac Margolis
July 2, 2013

Historical Examples

It amounts to a public-relations job, a production, with me merely censoring aspects that might be bad for Dabney's psyche.
Operation: Outer Space
William Fitzgerald Jenkins
Mr. Dabney, Jed Cochrane is here as a specialist in public-relations set-ups.
Operation: Outer Space
William Fitzgerald Jenkins
The public-relations job all this has turned into, demands a careful stimulation of all the basic urges.
Operation: Outer Space
William Fitzgerald Jenkins
He managed to make one copy, unaddressed, of the public-relations letter that he'd worked out at the same time.
The Pirates of Ersatz
Murray Leinster

British Dictionary definitions for public relations

public relations

noun (functioning as singular or plural)

1. the practice of creating, promoting, or maintaining goodwill and a favourable image among the public towards an institution, public body, etc
2. the methods and techniques employed
3. (as modifier)the public relations industry
the condition of the relationship between an organization and the public
the professional staff employed to create, promote, or maintain a favourable relationship between an organization and the public

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Abbreviation: PR

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