publicize

American  

[puhb-luh-sahyz] / ˈpʌb ləˌsaɪz /

especially British, publicise

verb (used with object)

publicized, publicizing

1. to give publicity to; bring to public notice; advertise.

   They publicized the meeting as best they could.

   Synonyms:

   announce, acclaim, sell, promote

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publicize British  

/ ˈpʌblɪˌsaɪz /

verb

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

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Other Word Forms

• mispublicized
  adjective
• overpublicize
  verb (used with object)
• unpublicized
  adjective

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.

Example Sentences

Publicize any and all events, and automatically accept all friend requests to the Facebook page that served as a home base for her fans.

From Washington Post • Apr. 1, 2023

Related Words

• advertise
• announce
• boost
• broadcast
• promulgate
• tout
• trumpet