publicity

noun

pub·​lic·​i·​ty (ˌ)pə-ˈbli-sə-tē How to pronounce publicity (audio)
-ˈbli-stē
1
: the quality or state of being public
2
a
: an act or device designed to attract public interest
specifically : information with news value issued as a means of gaining public attention or support
b
: the dissemination of information or promotional material
c
: paid advertising
d
: public attention or acclaim

Examples of publicity in a Sentence

His public appearances are good publicity for the new movie. An arrest for drunk driving is bad publicity for any celebrity. The film has gotten some good publicity. She has received a lot of publicity for her latest novel. The studio spent a lot of money on publicity for the movie.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Baldoni denied the allegations and filed a countersuit in January alleging defamation and extortion against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and their publicity team. Benjamin Vanhoose, People.com, 22 May 2025 That was a big moment, that was a big lump of publicity. Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 May 2025 There’s also a frank talk with her 100-year-old former publicity man, Rusty Strait, who later wrote a tell-all book about Jayne (Hargitay scolds him for sharing private stories), and a very poignant interview with Ellen Hargitay, her stepmother who married Mickey short after Jayne’s death. Pete Hammond, Deadline, 18 May 2025 Strouse died at his home in New York City, his family said through the publicity agency Press Room. Mark Kennedy, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for publicity

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin pūblicitāt-, pūblicitās, from Latin pūblicus public entry 1 + -itāt-, -itās -ity

First Known Use

1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of publicity was in 1609

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Publicity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/publicity. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

publicity

noun
pub·​lic·​i·​ty (ˌ)pə-ˈblis-ət-ē How to pronounce publicity (audio)
1
: the condition of being public or publicly known
2
: an act or device designed to attract public interest
especially : information with a news value designed to further the interests of a place, person, or cause
3
a
: an action that gains public attention
b
: the attention so gained

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