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.
One afternoon, Holton shadowed a housing advocate on her visits to a few households, taking publicity photographs as a service to the nonprofit and to the families. Qian Julie Wang, New Yorker, 20 Sep. 2025 After this publicity around the experiment, MacDougall faced harsh criticism. Leah Hudson, Popular Science, 18 Sep. 2025 Kilter Films’ Noreen O’Toole will continue in her role as producer overseeing marketing and publicity and Halle Phillips will continue working across marketing and development. Joe Otterson, Variety, 18 Sep. 2025 Lisa Lake/Getty Images for MoveOn Ben & Jerry's has become known for more than its ice cream, garnering publicity for championing a number of social causes relating to climate change, racial justice and immigration. Hugh Cameron shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 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 24 Sep. 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

More from Merriam-Webster on publicity

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!