propaganda

noun

pro·​pa·​gan·​da ˌprä-pə-ˈgan-də How to pronounce propaganda (audio)
ˌprō-
1
capitalized : a congregation of the Roman curia having jurisdiction over missionary territories and related institutions
2
: the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person
3
: ideas, facts, or allegations spread deliberately to further one's cause or to damage an opposing cause
also : a public action having such an effect

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The History of Propaganda

Propaganda is today most often used in reference to political statements, but the word comes to our language through its use in a religious context. The Congregatio de propaganda fide (“Congregation for propagating the faith”) was an organization established in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV as a means of furthering Catholic missionary activity. The word propaganda is from the ablative singular feminine of propogandus, which is the gerundive of the Latin propagare, meaning “to propagate.” The first use of the word propaganda (without the rest of the Latin title) in English was in reference to this Catholic organization. It was not until the beginning of the 19th century that it began to be used as a term denoting ideas or information that are of questionable accuracy as a means of advancing a cause.

Examples of propaganda in a Sentence

She didn't buy into the propaganda of her day that women had to be soft and submissive. Maria Shriver, Time, 26 Oct. 2009
They see all clear thinking, all sense of reality, and all fineness of living, threatened on every side by propaganda, by advertisement, by film and television. C. S. Lewis, An Experiment in Criticism, (1961) 2009
We've so bought into the mass delusion, the nutty propaganda, that now the ideal American family is one that's on steroids … Anna Quindlen, Newsweek, 27 Apr. 2009
… just propaganda for a mode of life no one could live without access to the very impulse-suppressing, nostalgia-provoking drugs they don't want you to have … Richard Ford, Independence Day, 1995
He was accused of spreading propaganda. The report was nothing but lies and propaganda.
Recent Examples on the Web Where the movie’s earlier instance of such a call (by a Russian soldier) is seen being scrutinized and analyzed by investigators in order to combat Russian military propaganda, this recording released by the Israeli military has never been independently verified by a similar team. Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 9 Mar. 2024 Policymakers worry that that information could then be used to identify intelligence targets or enable disinformation or propaganda campaigns. Brian Fung, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 Pro-Palestinian demonstrators have achieved their goal of racking up propaganda points at some city councils, but not all. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 In North Korea, experts say, Trump handed brutal dictator Kim Jong Un a powerful propaganda victory by holding fruitless and self-aggrandizing summits. Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2024 The downing of the Su-34, as well as two of just nine A-50 reconnaissance aircraft, became propaganda coups for Kyiv and came days after the city of Avdiivka fell to the Russian military. Peter Suciu, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 America’s election may also be a tempting target for other authoritarian nations such as China and Iran that, like Russia, have shown a willingness to use online propaganda and disinformation to further their objectives. David Klepper, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Mar. 2024 The pivot toward the United States comes after two years in which Russia's vast disinformation apparatus was busy pushing propaganda and disinformation about its invasion of Ukraine. David Klepper, Quartz, 1 Mar. 2024 France, Germany and Poland said this month that Russia has launched a barrage of propaganda to try to influence European parliamentary elections in June. Kevin Collier, NBC News, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'propaganda.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Congregatio de propaganda fide Congregation for propagating the faith, organization established by Pope Gregory XV †1623

First Known Use

1668, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of propaganda was in 1668

Dictionary Entries Near propaganda

Cite this Entry

“Propaganda.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/propaganda. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

propaganda

noun
pro·​pa·​gan·​da ˌpräp-ə-ˈgan-də How to pronounce propaganda (audio)
ˌprō-pə-
: an organized spreading of certain ideas
also : the ideas spread in this way
propagandist noun or adjective
propagandistic adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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