publicity

noun

pub·​lic·​i·​ty (ˌ)pə-ˈbli-sə-tē How to pronounce publicity (audio)
-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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The clarification is arguably in line with the House settlement, the longstanding NCAA prohibition against pay-for-play and, more conceptually, the relationship between the right of publicity and NIL. Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 11 July 2025 Although the Dolphins offense gets the publicity, the defense has finished No. 4 and No. 10 in the league, respectively, in the past two years so the standard is high. Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 11 July 2025 The two took advantage of the publicity around the wedding to praise Bezos’ ex-wife, MacKenzie Scott, for her philanthropy in the years since her divorce. Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 10 July 2025 The co-defendants argued that keeping the trial in Nelson County would impede their rights to a fair and impartial trial because the publicity and news coverage the case has received could lead to a prejudiced jury pool. Killian Baarlaer, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for publicity

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of publicity was in 1609

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Publicity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/publicity. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

publicity

noun
pub·​lic·​i·​ty (ˌ)pə-ˈblis-ət-ē How to pronounce publicity (audio)
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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