publication
Americannoun
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publications
plural
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the act of publishing a book, periodical, map, piece of music, engraving, or the like.
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the act of bringing before the public; announcement.
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the state or fact of being published.
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something that is published, especially a periodical.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of publication
1350–1400; Middle English publicacioun < Latin pūblicātiōn- (stem of pūblicātiō ) a making public, confiscation, equivalent to pūblicāt ( us ) (past participle of pūblicāre to make public ) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
A publication is something made to communicate with the public. Publications are usually printed on paper (like magazines and books), but online publications are delivered via the Internet. The noun publication comes from the Latin word publicare, meaning “make public.” Publication usually means something is written and made available publicly, but a company or government can submit publications of things like earnings or unemployment indexes that are communicated differently. If you are an aspiring author, publication of your work is, most likely, the Holy Grail you seek.
Vocabulary lists containing publication
National Librarian Day
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Reading: Informational - Middle School
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Media Literacy - High School
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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.
See Examples For:
Funding to pay the Open Access publication charges for this article was provided by the Japan Science and Technology Agency.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 19, 2026
This coincided with the lead-up to the publication of Arday’s autobiography.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
Winn had been due to release another book, her fourth non-fiction title, On Winter Hill, in October 2025, but its publication was delayed to January 2028 after the author suffered "considerable distress", according to Penguin.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
The views expressed are those of the author as of the date of publication and are subject to change without notice.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026
With the publication of his novels The Time Machine and The Island of Doctor Moreau in the mid-1890s, he became known for his innovative scientific romances, today known as science fiction.
From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow
Earlier this month, Pangram flagged a small passage from a draft I had submitted to an editor at one of the other publications where I freelance.
From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026
US media, including specialist military publications, have quoted multiple relatives of crew members saying living conditions have deteriorated on the Abraham Lincoln.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
Both publications agreed the result exposed “the limits of the left” and its power.
From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026
Through presentations of regional music, publications and visual art, this exhibition looks at the ways the music intertwined with art and local culture to create a counter-cultural movement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
I looked at as many newspapers and publications as I could to make sure I was up to date.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
