propaganda
noun
Did you know?
The History of Propaganda
Propaganda is today most often used in reference to political statements, but the word comes to our language through its use in a religious context. The Congregatio de propaganda fide (“Congregation for propagating the faith”) was an organization established in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV as a means of furthering Catholic missionary activity. The word propaganda is from the ablative singular feminine of propogandus, which is the gerundive of the Latin propagare, meaning “to propagate.” The first use of the word propaganda (without the rest of the Latin title) in English was in reference to this Catholic organization. It was not until the beginning of the 19th century that it began to be used as a term denoting ideas or information that are of questionable accuracy as a means of advancing a cause.
Examples of propaganda in a Sentence
Maria Shriver, Time, 26 Oct. 2009
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
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
… 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
He was accused of spreading propaganda.
The report was nothing but lies and propaganda.
Kamila Shamsie
june 20, Literary Hub, 20 June 2025
Moscow, Beijing, Tehran and extremist groups are flooding the global information space with anti-American propaganda.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 20 June 2025
The dangers of the use of these technologies for propaganda on social media are evident.
—James Foulds, The Conversation, 18 June 2025
The two Koreas have engaged in psychological warfare since the 1960s, with weapons like huge billboard screens, loudspeakers installed along the border, and airdropping propaganda leaflets.
—Se Eun Gong, NPR, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for propaganda
Cite this Entry
“Propaganda.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/propaganda. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
propaganda
noun
Share