publishing

noun

pub·​lish·​ing ˈpə-bli-shiŋ 

: the business or profession of the commercial production and issuance of literature, information, musical scores or sometimes recordings, or art

newspaper publishing

software publishing

Examples of publishing in a Sentence

He was hoping to get a job in publishing after college.

Her sister works for a well-known publishing company.

Recent Examples on the Web

Connor has gained experience since graduating at titles including The Sunday Times Magazine and Food & Travel, with stints in luxury travel PR and publishing along the way. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Jan. 2026

Meanwhile, the rappers had invested some of the money from their publishing deal in production equipment and begun tinkering with beats themselves. —Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 23 Jan. 2026

The publishing industry has become a business that is more and more driven by data, with execs wanting to see numbers before taking any risks. —Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026

Scientific publishing has always had its plumbing problems. —Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English publisching "act of announcing, public declaration, issuing of copies of a book," from gerund of publisshen "to make known, publish"

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing publishing

• desktop publishing
• electronic publishing