propaganda

pro·pa·gan·da

noun \ˌprä-pə-ˈgan-də, ˌprō-\

Definition of PROPAGANDA

1

capitalized : a congregation of the Roman curia having jurisdiction over missionary territories and related institutions

2

: the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person

3

: ideas, facts, or allegations spread deliberately to further one's cause or to damage an opposing cause; also : a public action having such an effect

— pro·pa·gan·dist \-dist\ noun or adjective

— pro·pa·gan·dis·tic \-ˌgan-ˈdis-tik\ adjective

— pro·pa·gan·dis·ti·cal·ly \-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

Examples of PROPAGANDA

1. He was accused of spreading propaganda.
2. The report was nothing but lies and propaganda.
3. She didn't buy into the propaganda of her day that women had to be soft and submissive. —Maria Shriver, Time, 26 Oct. 2009
4. We've so bought into the mass delusion, the nutty propaganda, that now the ideal American family is one that's on steroids … —Anna Quindlen, Newsweek, 27 Apr. 2009
5. … just propaganda for a mode of life no one could live without access to the very impulse-suppressing, nostalgia-provoking drugs they don't want you to have … —Richard Ford, Independence Day, 1995
6. They see all clear thinking, all sense of reality, and all fineness of living, threatened on every side by propaganda, by advertisement, by film and television. —C. S. Lewis, An Experiment in Criticism, (1961) 2009

Origin of PROPAGANDA

New Latin, from Congregatio de propaganda fide Congregation for propagating the faith, organization established by Pope Gregory XV †1623

First Known Use: 1718

Rhymes with PROPAGANDA

giant panda, jacaranda

propaganda

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Manipulation of information to influence public opinion. The term comes from Congregatio de Propaganda Fide (Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith), a missionary organization established by the pope in 1622. Propagandists emphasize the elements of information that support their position and deemphasize or exclude those that do not. Misleading statements and even lies may be used to create the desired effect in the public audience. Lobbying, advertising, and missionary activity are all forms of propaganda, but the term is most commonly used in the political arena. Prior to the 20th century, pictures and the written media were the principal instruments of propaganda; radio, television, motion pictures, and the Internet later joined their ranks. Authoritarian and totalitarian regimes use propaganda to win and keep the support of the populace. In wartime, propaganda directed by a country at its own civilian population and military forces can boost morale; propaganda aimed at the enemy is an element of psychological warfare.