Jump To:

• propaganda
  propaganda

  noun

  information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, etc.
• Propaganda
  Propaganda

  noun

  RC Church a congregation responsible for directing the work of the foreign missions and the training of priests for these

propaganda

American  

[prop-uh-gan-duh] / ˌprɒp əˈgæn də /

noun

• propaganda
  plural

1. information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, etc.

2. the deliberate spreading of such information, rumors, etc.

3. the particular doctrines or principles propagated by an organization or movement.

4. Roman Catholic Church.

   1. a committee of cardinals, established in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV, having supervision over foreign missions and the training of priests for these missions.

   2. a school College of Propaganda established by Pope Urban VIII for the education of priests for foreign missions.

5. Archaic. an organization or movement for the spreading of propaganda.

---

Propaganda ¹ British  

/ ˌprɒpəˈɡændə /

noun

1. RC Church a congregation responsible for directing the work of the foreign missions and the training of priests for these

---

propaganda ² British  

/ ˌprɒpəˈɡændə /

noun

1. the organized dissemination of information, allegations, etc, to assist or damage the cause of a government, movement, etc

2. such information, allegations, etc

---

propaganda Cultural  

1. Official government communications to the public that are designed to influence opinion. The information may be true or false, but it is always carefully selected for its political effect.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• propagandism
  noun
• propagandist
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• propaganda
  plural

Etymology

Origin of propaganda

First recorded in 1710–20; from New Latin, short for congregātiō dē propāgandā fidē “congregation for propagating the faith”; propāgandā, ablative singular feminine gerundive of propāgāre; see propagate

Explanation

Propaganda is the spreading of information in support of a cause. It’s not so important whether the information is true or false or if the cause is just or not — it’s all propaganda. The word propaganda is often used in a negative sense, especially for politicians who make false claims to get elected or spread rumors to get their way. In fact, any campaign that is used to persuade can be called propaganda.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

propaganda Propaganda

Even as propaganda, it was pretty dumb — never discounting for currency fluctuation, alternative sourcing or domestic capacity increases, to name a few counterindicators.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026

He worked with Sergei Kiriyenko, now Putin's powerful first deputy chief of staff, and for many years took part in political propaganda shows on Russian television.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

But even if Bernays was sanguine about the use of propaganda, his own enthusiasm points at its dangers: Those who manipulate “this unseen mechanism of society,” he writes, will become an “invisible government.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

The answer to the propaganda and lies is to remain aware of it, remain above it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

Every night we gather to hear such news and propaganda, and are told of how the Angkar loves us and will protect us.

From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung

Propaganda, he argues, could be a tool to regulate and benefit the body politic.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

"MTI has been liberated and works freely... Topics and organisations previously banned have returned to our coverage. Propaganda has been pushed out," said an editor.

From Barron's ● May 30, 2026

The EP comes along with a digital e-zine edition of U2's fanzine Propaganda.

From BBC ● Apr. 3, 2026

I called my great friend and partner at Propaganda, Dominic Sena, who had directed him in “Kalifornia.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 18, 2024

That same day, in a posh Berlin neighborhood near the Ministry of Public En-lightenment and Propaganda, Joseph and Magda Goebbels welcomed a new daughter into the world—a little brown-haired girl they named Hildegard.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

Related Words

• disinformation
• hype
• indoctrination
• publicity