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

Synonyms of publicity

• hype
• advertising
• advertisement

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

Instead, Angwin claims that Grammarly infringed the privacy and publicity rights of her and many other authors by appropriating their names and identities for commercial purposes without consent. — Zoey Forbes, The Dial, 7 July 2026

As a result, organizers decided that once the peloton reached France for the last 40 kilometers, the publicity caravan — a 10-kilometer-long procession of sponsor vehicles that precedes the race — would not operate. — ABC News, 6 July 2026

Newspaper editors are often invited, presumably to curry a little favour and encourage publicity. — Nick Miller, New York Times, 4 July 2026

With all of the wedding publicity, Lawrence doubts whether the Watch Hill house offers enough security for the newlyweds. — Bella Decrescenzo, USA Today, 4 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin pūblicitāt-, pūblicitās, from Latin pūblicus public entry 1 + -itāt-, -itās -ity

First Known Use

1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing publicity

• publicity stunt

Rhymes for publicity

• basicity
• chronicity
• complicity
• cyclicity
• duplicity
• ethnicity
• facticity
• felicity
• helicity
• plasticity
• rusticity
• simplicity

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