propaganda
Americannoun
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information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, etc.
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the deliberate spreading of such information, rumors, etc.
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the particular doctrines or principles propagated by an organization or movement.
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Roman Catholic Church.
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a committee of cardinals, established in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV, having supervision over foreign missions and the training of priests for these missions.
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a school College of Propaganda established by Pope Urban VIII for the education of priests for foreign missions.
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Archaic. an organization or movement for the spreading of propaganda.
noun
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the organized dissemination of information, allegations, etc, to assist or damage the cause of a government, movement, etc
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such information, allegations, etc
noun
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RC Church a congregation responsible for directing the work of the foreign missions and the training of priests for these
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Official government communications to the public that are designed to influence opinion. The information may be true or false, but it is always carefully selected for its political effect.
Other Word Forms
- propagandism noun
- propagandist noun
Etymology
Origin of propaganda
First recorded in 1710–20; from New Latin, short for congregātiō dē propāgandā fidē “congregation for propagating the faith”; propāgandā, ablative singular feminine gerundive of propāgāre; propagate
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The podcasters announced that they had won a “commitment to editorial independence,” lest anyone think OpenAI CEO Sam Altman might be angling to turn their show into propaganda.
From Slate • Apr. 7, 2026
Lee has sought to repair ties with North Korea since taking office last year, criticising his predecessor for allegedly sending drones to scatter propaganda over Pyongyang.
From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026
Video footage of a captured U.S. airman in enemy hands would have handed Tehran a major propaganda tool and a source of leverage at a critical moment in the war.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026
Military veterans and other professionals are disgusted by these propaganda videos.
From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026
It is, basically, a response to propaganda, something like the panic-producing pheromones that slave-taking ants re lease to disorganize the colonies of their prey.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.