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Synonyms

publicize

American  
[puhb-luh-sahyz] / ˈpʌb ləˌsaɪz /
especially British, publicise

verb (used with object)

  • publicizes,
    present (3rd person singular)
  • publicized,
    past participle,  past
  • publicizing
    present participle
  1. to give publicity to; bring to public notice; advertise.

    They publicized the meeting as best they could.

    Synonyms:
    announce, acclaim, sell, promote

publicize British  
/ ˈpʌblɪˌsaɪz /

verb

  1. (tr) to bring to public notice; advertise

"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

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Present

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Etymology

Origin of publicize

First recorded in 1925–30; public + -ize

Explanation

When you publicize something, you let the whole world know about it. The president might hold a press conference to publicize a new policy, or you might use Facebook to publicize your new relationship status. To make something very widely known, or to make an official announcement about it, is to publicize it. Companies publicize new products and sale prices, and politicians publicize the missteps and bad policies of their opponents. The verb publicize was first used at the beginning of the twentieth century, combining public, with its Latin root of publicus, "of the people, common, or general," and the verb-making suffix ize.

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Vocabulary lists containing publicize

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:

"We'll be able to publicize that and reinforce the message that it is not acceptable to abuse retail or any other public-facing workers."

From BBC Jun. 20, 2026

After inking the transaction, the firm asked CoreWeave to publicize the deal in a press release.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 20, 2026

The Treasury Department will launch a new website, TrumpIRA.gov, to publicize the matching funds and issue guidance for private-sector donors who want to contribute to workers’ accounts, a media report said.

From MarketWatch Apr. 30, 2026

The so-called “good” ones supposedly remain silent about their partners’ indiscretions, while those who publicize their misdeeds are painted as thankless harpies.

From Salon Apr. 30, 2026

And she continued to use her newspaper column, along with her lectures, radio talks, and press conferences, to publicize her views on social justice.

From "The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights" by Russell Freedman

It now regularly publicizes cases, including two passengers sentenced to 10 months in jail last month in Toulouse, France, where an Ibiza-bound flight was diverted after they caused a disruption.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 5, 2026

“Offsets are still the Wild West of climate change and have been riddled with fraud, failed projects, and dubious effectiveness,” said Jonathan Foley, executive director of Project Drawdown, a group that publicizes climate solutions.

From Seattle Times Feb. 2, 2024

Haniyeh is believed to be based in Qatar, though Hamas rarely publicizes the whereabouts of its leaders for their security.

From Washington Times Dec. 20, 2023

Such a position ignores that the Gen Con organizer publicizes that its convention injects $57 million into the local economy.

From Washington Post Aug. 26, 2022

He’s trying to step clear of ‘A Million Little Pieces’ as he publicizes his novel.

From Los Angeles Times Jan. 22, 2022

In highly publicized cases, it is common for judges to protect jurors' identities to shield them from the risk of harassment or intimidation.

From Barron's Aug. 11, 2026

Disparities in pay and resources are still a battle in both women’s professional sports and at the collegiate and Olympic levels, as publicized advocacy by athletes such as Megan Rapinoe has revealed.

From Salon Aug. 7, 2026

When a gossip column publicized their relationship in 1974, President Ford forwarded it to his chief of staff with a note: “I don’t believe it.”

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 22, 2026

About 30 previous categories returned, including the Allison Williams Cool Girl Award, which was given to “Summer House’s” Ciara Miller, who continues riding high following her messy and highly publicized breakup.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 18, 2026

In the mid-1990s, he points out, the city of Baltimore embarked on a highly publicized policy of dynamiting the old i96os-style public housing high-rises in East and West Baltimore.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell

Even if Daniel believes that publicizing the alien footage could unite a broken world, it’s too late for someone like Noah, who is too consumed by his despair to see a way out.

From Salon Jun. 13, 2026

Sens. Rick Scott of Florida and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin in publicizing a federal inquiry into the fire.

From Los Angeles Times May 21, 2026

There’s a whole host of celebrities now publicizing their connection to the sport.

From The Wall Street Journal May 1, 2026

So, while tooting your own horn can be uncomfortable, logging and publicizing on-the-job wins is about controlling your professional narrative.

From The Wall Street Journal Jan. 29, 2026

Finally, there must be a mechanism for publicizing one’s knowledge—Cardano, for example, publishes a book.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

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