Etymology Since the early twentieth century. The term gained popularity as a euphemism for propaganda after that originally neutral term acquired a negative connotation during the political upheavals of the early twentieth century.
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The professional dissemination and management of information by a person or an organization to the public with the purpose of creating a favorable public image.
The public relations drive accompanying the opening of Stage I is impressive.1960 December, “The Glasgow Suburban Electrification is opened”, in Trains Illustrated, page 714:
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Broadly, Metonymically The favorability of the public image of a person or organization.
Etymology public relations, with a hyphen added to change a noun phrase into an adjective phrase
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public relations (in attributive use)
Private-equity nabobs bristle at being dubbed mere financiers. Piling debt onto companies’ balance-sheets is only a small part of what leveraged buy-outs are about, they insist. Improving the workings of the businesses they take over is just as core to their calling, if not more so. Much of their pleading is public-relations bluster.2013 June 22, “Engineers of a different kind”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8841, page 70: