publicity
Americannoun
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extensive mention in the news media or by word of mouth or other means of communication.
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public notice so gained.
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the measures, process, or business of securing public notice.
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information, articles, or advertisements issued to secure public notice or attention.
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the state of being public, or open to general observation or knowledge.
noun
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the technique or process of attracting public attention to people, products, etc, as by the use of the mass media
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( as modifier )
a publicity agent
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public interest resulting from information supplied by such a technique or process
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information used to draw public attention to people, products, etc
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the state of being public
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of publicity
1785–95; < French publicité < Medieval Latin pūblicitās. See public, -ity
Explanation
Publicity is a public message whose purpose is to let people know about something, like a concert or a new product. If you go around town putting up posters that advertise a community production of "Annie," you are helping with the play's publicity. In the business world, it's common to hear the terms "publicity campaign" and "publicity stunt." Originally, the word publicity was used to mean "condition of being public," and it wasn't until 1826 that it took on a marketing or advertising meaning.
Vocabulary lists containing publicity
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"The Civil Rights Movement"
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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.
File under “stupid publicity stunt that I shouldn’t even be writing about, but here I am, writing about it.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
Arday, who was appointed in a blaze of publicity in 2023 as the youngest-ever black professor to Cambridge University, was found dead on Friday, aged 41, after weeks of excoriating media reports.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
Earlier this month, Isaacs said that doing publicity for The Salt Path's US release was "going to be interesting" while speaking on the Kermode On Film podcast.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
Niu Lai was a low-budget, lowkey production from the outset, and had received almost no publicity before its release earlier this month.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
“You don’t live in this neighborhood. Plus, I know you only want to come as a publicity stunt.”
From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya
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.
