publicity

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

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

Her modest equine interests are noteworthy, at least in part, because of the publicity efforts of her nephew, former University of Louisville basketball player Tim Henderson.

— tim sullivan, The Courier-Journal, "Forged check pays dividends at horse show | Tim Sullivan," 22 Aug. 2017
But other board members suggested that the negative publicity from a single incident of misconduct could pose much bigger problems for both their institution and NSF.

— jeffrey mervis, Science | AAAS, "Despite policy's weaknesses, NSF to reiterate stance on teaching good research habits," 17 Aug. 2017
On the bright side, the event spurred publicity for the school's cross country team: Related:

— ashley paige, Teen Vogue, "Bees Attack Dozens of High School Students in California," 16 Aug. 2017
Instead, after publicity about the state’s review last summer, enrollment plunged from 500 the previous year to 160.

— ann doss helms, charlotteobserver, "Can a consultant under ethics investigation save Cornelius’ troubled charter school?," 2 Aug. 2017
HBO’s Confederate is taking another blow in the publicity department.

— yohana desta, HWD, "Amazon Is Developing Black America, a Series That’s Basically the Anti-Confederate," 1 Aug. 2017
PetIQ has shunned publicity since its founding seven years ago.

— david staats, idahostatesman, "This company wants you to fill pet prescriptions at stores. It just went public," 21 July 2017
The tweet gained a lot of publicity after a retweet from Arsenal's official Twitter account.

— SI.com, "Arsenal Fan Loses Bet and Gets Tattoo of Darren Bent-Looking Alexandre Lacazette," 19 July 2017
Kenton’s larger-than-like adventures are the also stuff of legend, but Boone had the better publicity.

— jeff suess, Cincinnati.com, "Simon Kenton, legendary frontiersman, saved the life of Daniel Boone," 18 July 2017

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

publicity Synonyms

Synonyms

ballyhoo, hype, puffery

Related Words

ad, advertisement, commercial, message, plug, promotion, spot, word; banner, bill, billboard, placard, poster, sign; advertising, marketing, propaganda; pronouncement, publication, release; broadcast, bulletin, dispatch, newscast, report, story; ink [slang], 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

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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