publicity
Publicity (noun) means promotional activity intended to attract public attention to something. Example: “The film's release was backed by a huge publicity campaign.”
How to Use Publicity
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAttention from the public — usually attention a company or person is actively trying to create.
Word Forms
publicities plural
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The film's release was backed by a huge _____ campaign.
Etymology
From French publicité, ultimately from Latin publicus, "public."
Related Words
Rhymes for publicity
See all rhymes for publicity →Frequently Asked Questions
What does “publicity” mean?
The word “publicity” means promotional activity intended to attract public attention to something. In plain terms, attention from the public — usually attention a company or person is actively trying to create.
How do you pronounce “publicity”?
“Publicity” is pronounced puhb-LIH-sih-tee (/pʌbˈlɪsɪti/ in IPA).
How do you use “publicity” in a sentence?
Here is “publicity” used in a sentence: “The film's release was backed by a huge publicity campaign.”
What part of speech is “publicity”?
“Publicity” is a noun.
Where does the word “publicity” come from?
The word “publicity” comes from Latin. From French publicité, ultimately from Latin publicus, "public.".
Is “publicity” a common word?
“Publicity” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.
How many meanings does “publicity” have?
“Publicity” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: promotional activity intended to attract public attention to something.
What is the difference between "publicity" and "advertising"?
Advertising is promotion that a company pays for directly, such as commercials and paid posts, while publicity is public attention itself — coverage, mentions, and word of mouth — which can be earned rather than bought. Publicity can also be negative, whereas advertising is controlled by whoever pays for it.
What is the difference between "publicity" and "public relations"?
Public relations (PR) is the broader practice of managing how an organization is perceived, while publicity is one of its outcomes: actual public attention, such as press coverage. A PR team works to win good publicity and to limit bad publicity.
Is "publicity" countable or uncountable?
"Publicity" is an uncountable noun, so it has no plural and never takes "a" — you say "the campaign attracted a lot of publicity", not "a publicity" or "publicities". Quantify it with words like "much", "little", or "a great deal of".