publicity
noun
pub·lic·i·ty
(ˌ)pə-ˈbli-sə-tē 
-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
These lawyers are looking at potential AI inputs in light of a web of laws including contract, copyright, trademark and rights of publicity.
—
Dan Stone, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024
But that publicity has not translated to a surge of prospective customers booking soirees at his Milwaukee restaurants, DanDan and EsterEv, ahead of the Republican National Convention, which is just three months away.
—Jonathan Weisman, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
But all of the buzzy marketing terms and facets of publicity can’t overshadow the main reason Mass is the reigning queen of romantasy: her books are familiar, straightforward, and easy to pick up.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2024
Ford, 54, had the medical emergency on Thursday following a show in Gilbert, Arizona, at Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row, and was taken to a medical center in Mesa, according to Ryan Bell, Ford’s manager of publicity.
—Dan Heching, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024
That kind of publicity doesn’t help sell voters on a tax increase.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2024
Prosecutors argued that much of the publicity Trump's attorneys complained about is of his own making.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2024
The free publicity generated by the incident was worth $25 million in advertising and sales at Taco Bell increased by $500,000 and $600,000, on April 1 and April 2, compared to the prior week, according to the Chicago Tribune, which also ran the ad.
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 31 Mar. 2024
Tesla could do without dealers, Bauer said, as Musk was a master at generating free publicity — and because the company had few competitors when it was founded by two entrepreneurs in 2003 and later taken over by the billionaire.
—Laurence Darmiento, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Dan Stone, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024
But that publicity has not translated to a surge of prospective customers booking soirees at his Milwaukee restaurants, DanDan and EsterEv, ahead of the Republican National Convention, which is just three months away.
—Jonathan Weisman, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
But all of the buzzy marketing terms and facets of publicity can’t overshadow the main reason Mass is the reigning queen of romantasy: her books are familiar, straightforward, and easy to pick up.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2024
Ford, 54, had the medical emergency on Thursday following a show in Gilbert, Arizona, at Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row, and was taken to a medical center in Mesa, according to Ryan Bell, Ford’s manager of publicity.
—Dan Heching, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024
That kind of publicity doesn’t help sell voters on a tax increase.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2024
Prosecutors argued that much of the publicity Trump's attorneys complained about is of his own making.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2024
The free publicity generated by the incident was worth $25 million in advertising and sales at Taco Bell increased by $500,000 and $600,000, on April 1 and April 2, compared to the prior week, according to the Chicago Tribune, which also ran the ad.
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 31 Mar. 2024
Tesla could do without dealers, Bauer said, as Musk was a master at generating free publicity — and because the company had few competitors when it was founded by two entrepreneurs in 2003 and later taken over by the billionaire.
—Laurence Darmiento, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'publicity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing publicity
Dictionary Entries Near publicity
Cite this Entry
“Publicity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/publicity. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
publicity
noun
pub·lic·i·ty
(ˌ)pə-ˈblis-ət-ē
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
Nglish: Translation of publicity for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of publicity for Arabic Speakers
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