Publicity

/pʌˈblɪsɪti/

nounBeginner🔥Very CommonGeneral
1 meaning2 idioms/phrases3 questions

Definitions

1

The attention that is given to someone or something by newspapers, magazines, television, etc.

/pʌˈblɪsɪti/

nounneutralBeginner
General

Attention given to someone or something by the media.

The film's release was preceded by a great deal of publicity.

💡 Simply: Imagine you're trying to sell lemonade. Getting people to know about your stand – that’s publicity! It's how you get the word out so people come buy your drink. So you might give out free samples or create a cool sign to get publicity!

👶 For kids: When people talk about something in the news or on TV, that's publicity!

More Examples

2

The company is trying to generate positive publicity for its new product.

3

He thrives on publicity and is often seen in the social scene.

How It's Used

Marketing

"The company hired a PR firm to generate positive publicity."

Journalism

"The scandal brought unwanted publicity to the politician."

Idioms & expressions

good publicity

Positive attention or coverage in the media.

"The charity's efforts generated good publicity and increased donations."

bad publicity

Negative attention or coverage in the media.

"The company suffered from bad publicity after the product recall."

From French publicité, from Latin publicus ('public').

Publicity has been used since the late 18th century, initially referring to the state of being public. It evolved to encompass the attention and notice generated in the public sphere.

Memory tip

Think of 'public' and 'city' - it's about what's happening in the public eye.

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"belonging to the people, of the people, public"

generate publicityseek publicitypositive publicitynegative publicitymedia publicitypublicity campaign

Common misspellings

publisitypublicitipublicicty

Usage

30%Spoken
70%Written