publicist

[puhb-luh-sist]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR publicist ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person who publicizes, especially a press agent or public-relations consultant.

an expert in current public or political affairs.

an expert in public or international law.

RELATED WORDS

agent

Nearby words

Origin of publicist

From German, dating back to 1785–95; see origin at public, -ist

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for publicist

But instead of just quietly releasing a statement through a publicist, she broadcasted her anger far and wide.
Jennifer Lawrence’s Righteous Fury Says Everything We Wanted to Say|Kevin O’Keeffe|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And with that, a publicist swoops in and announces that our time is up.
Christoph Waltz on Bond, Burton, and Channeling His Inner Darkness|Marlow Stern|December 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Earlier this year, his publicist dismissed one of the stories as “discredited.”
How the World Turned on Bill Cosby: A Day-by-Day Account|Scott Porch|December 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
[The publicist] said that the shoot really gave [Madonna] confidence.
London’s Pagan Counterculture Kings|Justin Jones|October 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST

I sent his publicist a galley of the book after it was finished.
A Full-Length Bill Cosby Portrait: From Track Star to Ugly Sweaters|Scott Porch|September 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On the whole he is as inferior to Burke as a publicist, as he is superior to him as a metaphysician.
The Philosophy of History, Vol. 1 of 2|Friedrich Schlegel
What sort of figure as a publicist or inspired political writer would a man like Croker cut at this end of the century?
The Contemporary Review, Volume 36, October 1879|Various
This famous archæologist and publicist has been a leading authority on the eastern side of the Adriatic for more than forty years.
The Birth of Yugoslavia, Volume 1|Henry Baerlein
This may be said to be the view of the publicist or legalist.
The Deaf|Harry Best
German lawyer and publicist, councillor at the Court of Justice at Berlin in 1843.
Memoirs of the Duchesse De Dino|Duchesse De Dino

British Dictionary definitions for publicist

publicist

noun

a person who publicizes something, esp a press or publicity agent

a journalist

rare a person learned in public or international law

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

Word Origin and History for publicist

publicist

1792, "person learned in public law or the law of nations," from public (adj.) + -ist. Also from 1795 in English as "writer on current topics," from French publiciste; in either case a hybrid.

Then crept in the "loose" usage. Anybody who wrote or spoke about public affairs came to be dubbed a publicist. It was only a question of time when the dam would give way and the word flow in all directions and be made to cover every kind of talent, or lack of it. ["The Nation," Nov. 22, 1917]

Meaning "press agent" is from 1925 (publicity agent attested by 1900); publicitor also was tried in this sense.

publicist

noun

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of publicist

Examples from the Web for publicist

publicist

noun

publicist