publicize

verb

pub·​li·​cize ˈpə-blə-ˌsīz How to pronounce publicize (audio)
publicized; publicizing
Synonyms of publicizenext

transitive verb

: to bring to the attention of the public : advertise

Synonyms of publicize

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of publicize in a Sentence

The company neglected to publicize the side effects of the new drug. a highly publicized murder trial
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The antisemitic vandalism crimes were known and widely publicized. — Rachel Sales, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026 Hilton, 48, made a name in the early 2000s publicizing and sometimes belittling celebrities who made public gaffes or otherwise found themselves in trouble with the law. — Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 5 Aug. 2026 Hennessey does not publicize names of its high-net-worth collectors and buyers. — New Atlas, 5 Aug. 2026 The primary reached its most contentious point about a week before voters chose Holscher, when Kelly’s chief of staff, Will Lawrence, accused Holscher of threatening to publicize Kelly’s 2024 divorce in a 2025 text message. — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for publicize

Word History

Etymology

public entry 1 + -ize

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of publicize was in 1832

Rhymes for publicize

See All Rhymes for publicize

Browse Nearby Words

publicity stunt
publicize
public-key
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Publicize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/publicize. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

publicize

verb
pub·​li·​cize ˈpəb-lə-ˌsīz How to pronounce publicize (audio)
publicized; publicizing
: to give publicity to

More from Merriam-Webster on publicize

Nglish: Translation of publicize for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All