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
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
It wasn’t given huge amounts of publicity at the beginning.
—
Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 23 Mar. 2026
By participating in the contest, the winners agree to have their name, voice, or likeness used in any advertising or broadcasting material relating to this contest, and to sign a publicity release, affidavit of eligibility and release of liability prior to acceptance of the prize.
—Cbs La Staff, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026
Peter Thompson, who was the foremost West End stage publicist for four decades and the man who orchestrated publicity for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats, The Phantom of the Opera and his other hits, died Wednesday night.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2026
One of the laws, AB 1836, specifically protects digital likenesses as part of performers’ posthumous right of publicity, a legal right that protects people’s identities from unauthorized commercial use.
—Angela Yang, NBC news, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for publicity
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Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 23 Mar. 2026
By participating in the contest, the winners agree to have their name, voice, or likeness used in any advertising or broadcasting material relating to this contest, and to sign a publicity release, affidavit of eligibility and release of liability prior to acceptance of the prize.
—Cbs La Staff, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026
Peter Thompson, who was the foremost West End stage publicist for four decades and the man who orchestrated publicity for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats, The Phantom of the Opera and his other hits, died Wednesday night.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2026
One of the laws, AB 1836, specifically protects digital likenesses as part of performers’ posthumous right of publicity, a legal right that protects people’s identities from unauthorized commercial use.
—Angela Yang, NBC news, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for publicity
Cite this Entry
“Publicity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/publicity. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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