public relations

noun, plural in form but usually singular in construction, often attributive

|Updated on: 12 Jun 2018

Definition of public relations

: 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

Recent Examples of public relations from the Web

The new charges revolve around allegations that Manafort, 69, and Kilimnik, 47, tried to influence two public relations executives who were involved in lobbying work in 2012 on behalf ot the Ukraine government.

— devlin barrett, BostonGlobe.com, "Manafort, Russian associate indicted on obstruction," 9 June 2018
Tracy Shirer, director of marketing and public relations at the Connecticut Science Center, said the center will be offering $5 off admission for state residents on Saturday.

— maya moore, courant.com, "Connecticut's Open House Day Means Free Admission And More At State's Museums," 8 June 2018
Giuliani argued that, as much as the White House was trying to preserve Trump’s presidency by fighting on legal terms, the public relations battleground was just as vital.

— Washington Post, "Giuliani trying to influence perception of Mueller probe," 8 June 2018
Manafort began calling one of the public relations people, who avoided him, the court filing said.

— chris megerian, latimes.com, "Paul Manafort faces new indictment with witness tampering allegations; Russian business partner also charged," 8 June 2018
Waste Management is doing the same, and both have mounted public relations campaigns to remind consumers what products should be placed in bins.

— lee bergquist, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "China's ban on U.S. scrap is raising the issue of 'dirty' recyclables in Wisconsin," 8 June 2018
Then there were last week’s twin public relations disasters.

— rob weinberg, Pomerado News, "Racism, vulgarity and bottom lines," 7 June 2018
The vehicle traveled along highways near Richmond, including Route 460 and Interstate 95, at speeds up to 40 mph according to a statement from Corinne Geller, public relations director for the Virginia State Police.

— joel shannon, USA TODAY, "Virginia police chase stolen military vehicle, stopping it near state Capitol building," 5 June 2018
Greg Joy Brock public relations Forney junior Caleigh Cross will play for the red team in the 6A-5A all-star game.

— brian gosset, star-telegram, "Here are the local softball and baseball players that will play in upcoming all-star games," 5 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'public relations.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of public relations

1898

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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PUBLIC RELATIONS Defined for English Language Learners

public relations

noun

Definition of public relations for English Language Learners

: the activity or job of providing information about a particular person or organization to the public so that people will regard that person or organization in a favorable way
: the relationship between an organization and the public