publicity
noun/pʌbˈlɪsɪti/
Etymology From French publicité, From Medieval Latin pūblicitātem, accusative singular of pūblicitās, from Latin pūblicus (“public, general”). Morphologically public + -ity.
1
Usually Advertising or other activity designed to rouse public interest in something.
- A gay man accused of disorderly conduct for posting publicity for a Boston gay event was found not guilty in Cambridge District Court on July 22.1979 August 11, “Man Found Not Guilty”, in Gay Community News, volume 7, number 4, page 2:
2
Usually Public interest attracted in this way.
- Any publicity, runs the axiom, is good publicity.1963 February, “Nobody runs this railway, mate”, in Modern Railways, page 73:
3
Usually The condition of being the object of public attention.
4
Usually The quality of being public, not private.
- Amelia's gentle eyes, too, had been fixed anxiously on the pair, whose conduct had so chafed the jealous General; but when Rebecca entered her box, she flew to her friend with an affectionate rapture which showed itself, in spite of the publicity of the place; for she embraced her dearest friend in the presence of the whole house, at least in full view of the General's glass, now brought to bear upon the Osborne party.1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC:
- Derived terms
- all publicity is good publicity, antipublicity, nonpublicity, no such thing as bad publicity, overpublicity, prepublicity, publicity hound, publicity-hound, publicity stunt, right of publicity, there is no such thing as bad publicity
- Related terms
- public, publicist, publicness