Publicize: meaning, definitions and examples

Use when you want to inform a large audience about something, especially through media channels, but not necessarily for commercial purposes.

• The charity event was widely publicized through social media.
• They publicized the new study in various science journals.

Commonly used when trying to increase awareness or sales of something, can be for commercial or non-commercial purposes.

• The government is promoting healthy eating habits.
• They are promoting their new book through a series of interviews.

Most appropriate for commercial contexts where the goal is to promote products, services, or events to potential customers.

• They advertised the new smartphone on multiple TV channels.
• Local stores often advertise their sales in the newspaper.

Best used when officially informing people about something important, often involving events or decisions.

• The company will announce its decision next week.
• She announced her engagement during the family dinner.

Typically used in formal or legal contexts to refer to the act of officially making a new law, rule, or guideline known to the public. It has a more formal tone.

• The new regulations were promulgated by the government last year.
• The policy was promulgated to ensure fairness in the workplace.

This word is best used when you are actively making something widely known to the general public, often through various forms of media for the purpose of attracting attention.

• The company hired a PR firm to publicize their new product launch.
• They publicized the event heavily on social media to attract more attendees.

Use this word when you are transmitting information or a message, typically through radio, television, or online streaming, to a wide audience.

• The football match was broadcast live on national television.
• The president's speech was broadcast on all major networks.

This word is suitable when you are distributing information, usually within a specific group, community, or network, as though it is moving or spreading in a somewhat closed loop.

• They circulated the memo to all employees via email.
• The prank video quickly circulated among the students.

This word is appropriate in formal or academic settings where information is being spread widely with the intent of informing or educating the public or a particular audience.

• The organization aims to disseminate knowledge about sustainable farming practices.
• They disseminated the research findings through various scientific journals.

Use this word when referring to spreading ideas, beliefs, or practices, often in a way that they are promoted and encouraged to grow or become more widely accepted.

• The activists worked hard to propagate their views on climate change.
• False information can propagate quickly on the internet.