publicity

noun pub·lic·i·ty \ (ˌ)pə-ˈbli-sə-tē , -ˈbli-stē \

|Updated on: 11 Jul 2018

Definition of publicity

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

See publicity defined for English-language learners

See publicity defined for kids

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 of publicity from the Web

But this planned protest almost seems like a publicity stunt.

— ted slowik, Daily Southtown, "Slowik: Protesting is noble, but shutting down the Dan Ryan is pointless," 5 July 2018
It was also revealed that the whole exercise was a publicity stunt.

— benjamin oreskes, latimes.com, "‘You ain’t poppin’ unless you got haters’: Aspiring rapper turns L.A. commute into nightmare," 28 June 2018
In the hours following Grisham's response, journalist Liz Plank shared a powerful message, calling the jacket a publicity stunt made by the Trump administration to bait journalists into appearing unconcerned with migrant children.

— amira rasool, Teen Vogue, "Journalist Liz Plank Believes the Media Was Baited by Melania Trump's Zara Jacket," 22 June 2018
It was largely seen as a publicity stunt but earned the vice president credence from his boss.

— the washington post, NOLA.com, "Trump pulls Philadelphia Eagles' White House invitation," 5 June 2018
Stan's comments seem to confirm what Hiddleston has maintained in the press—that, for him at least, the relationship was real and not a publicity stunt.

— kayleigh roberts, Marie Claire, "Sebastian Stan Was "Extremely Concerned" When Tom Hiddleston Was Dating Taylor Swift," 4 May 2018
The move was a publicity stunt for her new movie, A Simple Favor, co-starring Anna Kendrick.

— megan friedman, Harper's BAZAAR, "Ryan Reynolds Reacts to Blake Lively Savagely Unfollowing Him on Instagram," 2 May 2018
The long-in-the-making biopic debuted to an underwhelming $1.7 million despite a high-profile publicity campaign piloted by Travolta himself.

— pamela mcclintock, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Gotti': How John Travolta Tried — and Failed — to Save His Passion Project," 18 June 2018
The tweet incensed many members of Congress, as well as intelligence and military officials, who moved swiftly to denounce any prospect of a reprieve through a series of legislative actions and an aggressive publicity campaign.

— john d. mckinnon, WSJ, "Lawmakers Take Aim at Chinese Tech Firms," 7 June 2018

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

First Known Use of publicity

1609

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

publicity Synonyms

Synonyms

ballyhoo, hype;

advertising, marketing, propaganda;

pronouncement, publication, release;

broadcast, bulletin, dispatch, report, story;

testimonial, write-up;

Other Business Terms

amortize, caveat emptor, clearinghouse, divest, due diligence, emolument, green-collar, marque, overhead, perquisite

PUBLICITY Defined for English Language Learners

publicity

noun

Definition of publicity for English Language Learners

: something that attracts the attention of the public
: attention that is given to someone or something by newspapers, magazines, television news programs, etc.
: the activity or business of getting people to give attention to someone or something