public relations
Americannoun
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(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.
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(used with a singular verb) the art, technique, or profession of promoting such goodwill.
noun
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the practice of creating, promoting, or maintaining goodwill and a favourable image among the public towards an institution, public body, etc
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the methods and techniques employed
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( as modifier )
the public relations industry
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the condition of the relationship between an organization and the public
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the professional staff employed to create, promote, or maintain a favourable relationship between an organization and the public
Etymology
Origin of public relations
First recorded in 1800–10
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The legal source said his alleged role was to be that of a public relations operative who would use his media links and film content to win public support for the military takeover.
From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026
Orange-industry groups hired medical professionals as spokespeople in public relations, and kicked off an emergency ad campaign addressing what they branded “juice confusion.”
From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026
More-powerful AI chips need water to cool them, and managing that increasingly scarce resource is now mission-critical for any hyperscaler that wants to maintain good public relations and be a reasonable steward of the environment.
From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026
Jef I. Richards is a professor emeritus of advertising and public relations at Michigan State University’s College of Communication Arts and Sciences.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
And I became a public relations man for General Electric in Schenectady, New York, and a volunteer fireman in the village of Alplaus, where I bought my first home.
From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut
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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.