publicity

noun

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pub·lic·i·ty | \ (ˌ)pə-ˈbli-sə-tē

, -ˈbli-stē \

Definition of publicity

1 : the quality or state of being public

2a : 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 Example Sentences Learn More about publicity

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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 Indeed for Popovich and the Spurs, Hammon’s hiring was never a publicity stunt. — Jeff Mcdonald, ExpressNews.com, "Becky Hammon makes history as Spurs fall to Lakers," 30 Dec. 2020 Authorities said the false report was a publicity stunt to land a reality television show for the Heene family. — NBC News, "Parents convicted in 'balloon boy' hoax pardoned by Colorado governor," 24 Dec. 2020 Authorities later accused the parents of carrying out a hoax as part of a publicity stunt to market themselves for a reality TV show. — Tina Burnside And Eric Levenson, CNN, "Parents in infamous 'Balloon Boy' saga pardoned by Colorado governor," 24 Dec. 2020 Leah Remini, a former member of the Church of Scientology who has since dedicated herself to speaking out against the church, has written an essay accusing Tom Cruise of staging a publicity stunt with his now-famous COVID-19 safety rant. — Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY, "Leah Remini accuses Tom Cruise of staging a publicity stunt with his leaked COVID-19 rant," 20 Dec. 2020 This sworn defender of our civil rights used that falsehood to justify violently removing the protesters from the area in advance of the president’s publicity stunt in front of a nearby church. — Washington Post, "Bill Barr was a disdainful block of gray," 15 Dec. 2020 Officials in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Wisconsin say the suit is a publicity stunt. — Author: Nomaan Merchant, Alanna Durkin Richer, Anchorage Daily News, "More Republicans join Texas-led lawsuit challenging election," 11 Dec. 2020 Dana Nessel, the Democratic attorney general of Michigan, said Mr. Paxton’s lawsuit was a publicity stunt that would fail. — Brent Kendall And Deanna Paul, WSJ, "Trump’s Challenges to Election Results Face End of the Legal Road," 10 Dec. 2020 His book publicity tour has been full of critiques of the media that reveal a lot about the former president himself. — Alex Shephard, The New Republic, "Barack Obama, Media Critic," 17 Nov. 2020

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.

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