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

Forbes Agency Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. — Heather Kelly, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026

The state also ranks fourth in the nation for childhood poverty and hunger, according to Katie Ruth Camp, the organization's vice president of marketing and public relations. — Joshua Cole, CBS News, 24 June 2026

Instead, the blockade was becoming a public relations nightmare for Moscow—and the airlift a symbol of Western resolve. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 June 2026

In Moscow, the situation is creating a public relations problem for the Kremlin, which is already facing growing internal dissatisfaction with Putin and war fatigue. — Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 23 June 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