publicity

American  

[puh-blis-i-tee] / pʌˈblɪs ɪ ti /

noun

1. extensive mention in the news media or by word of mouth or other means of communication.

2. public notice so gained.

3. the measures, process, or business of securing public notice.

4. information, articles, or advertisements issued to secure public notice or attention.

5. the state of being public, or open to general observation or knowledge.

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publicity British  

/ pʌˈblɪsɪtɪ /

noun

1. 1. the technique or process of attracting public attention to people, products, etc, as by the use of the mass media

   2. ( as modifier )

      a publicity agent

2. public interest resulting from information supplied by such a technique or process

3. information used to draw public attention to people, products, etc

4. the state of being public

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Other Word Forms

• nonpublicity noun
• overpublicity noun
• propublicity adjective
• superpublicity noun

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.

Example Sentences

It faces ongoing challenges, including the cost of legal action and the potential impact of adverse publicity on both commercial sponsorships and volunteer numbers.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

The company was on an amazing run of publicity in general—all of which revolved around people liking its chatbot Claude a lot.

From Slate • Apr. 14, 2026

After that publicity, Bennett’s REITs returned the PPP funds.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

The era when delighting the public and media and driving endless free publicity for the AI revolution is over.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

Enforced publicity has in our eyes restored the character of complete innocence to all these things.

From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque

Related Words

• attention
• clout
• commercial
• distribution
• fame
• hoopla
• hype
• noise
• notoriety
• propaganda