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
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.
But Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence is an even bigger one, for now the chief spy in America is a Moscow darling who has blamed NATO for Russia’s aggression and frequently shared bizarre Russian conspiracies and anti-American propaganda. Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2025 Others argue her show marks a deeper shift into broadcasting full-on propaganda for the Trump Administration. Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 20 Feb. 2025 During the exchange, Hamas paraded the coffins and displayed propaganda in a move the UN called abhorrent. Chris Kenning, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025 The unnamed suspect was alleged to have spread anti-Islamic propaganda and threatened religious scholars via social media. Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 20 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for propaganda

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

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Cite this Entry

“Propaganda.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/propaganda. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.

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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