public relations

noun

plural in form but usually singular in construction

often attributive

: the business of inducing the public to have understanding for and goodwill toward a person, firm, or institution

also : the degree of understanding and goodwill achieved

Examples of public relations in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Friday, administrators at Northgate Middle School notified the school’s resource deputy that a student had informed them that another student in the school potentially had a firearm, Sarah Boyd, public relations manager for the Clay County Sheriff’s Department, said in an email to The Star. —Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 21 Feb. 2026

In the weeks and months leading up to Epstein’s arrest on July 6, 2019, the team brainstormed public relations strategies, gave Epstein media training, checked in on his well-being and offered him words of support. —Shirsho Dasgupta, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2026

While one company is related to public relations and another to retail, the full extent of the firms' activities is not known. —Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026

Karissa Condoianis, spokesperson and senior vice president of public relations for the State Fair of Texas, said in a statement the 2025 fair did not perform to expectations. —Perry Majidi, Dallas Morning News, 19 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1898, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for public relations

• abbreviations
• abominations
• accelerations
• accommodations
• accumulations
• adjudications
• administrations
• adulterations
• affiliations
• agglomerations
• alienations
• amalgamations

Kids Definition

public relations

noun

1

: the business of creating public goodwill for a person, firm, or institution

2

: the degree of understanding and goodwill achieved