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Synonyms

publication

American  
[puhb-li-key-shuhn] / ˌpʌb lɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

  1. the act of publishing publishing a book, periodical, map, piece of music, engraving, or the like.

  2. the act of bringing before the public; announcement.

  3. the state or fact of being published.

  4. something that is published, especially a periodical.

publication British  
/ ˌpʌblɪˈkeɪʃən /

noun

  1. the act or process of publishing a printed work

  2. any printed work offered for sale or distribution

  3. the act or an instance of making information public

  4. the act of disseminating defamatory matter, esp by communicating it to a third person See libel slander

"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

Other Word Forms

  • nonpublication noun
  • propublication adjective

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

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.

And after a bitter three-year strike at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette over wages and healthcare benefits, the family said in January that the paper will cease publication in May.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

Charisma magazine, a publication targeting charismatic and Pentecostal Christians, reported it this way:

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

The study, co-authored with Rutgers oceanographer Richard Lutz, stands out because Cinquemani began the work as an undergraduate assignment that later became a peer-reviewed publication.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

The decision follows the publication of a consultation on the subject, which from 2,000 responses with 63% of individuals and 79% of organisations expecting to be negatively impacted by the proposed phase-out.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

“Harding,” Goodale said, “we can’t stop publication, it would be terrible.”

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

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.