Phrase guide

public relations

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The professional dissemination and management of information by a person or an organization to the public with the purpose of creating a favorable public image.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: PR

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The favorability of the public image of a person or organization.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, metonymically, uncountable

Examples

  • to get bad public relations

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a promotion intended to create goodwill for a person or institution

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: PR

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: promotion, publicity, promotional material, packaging

History

Etymology

Since the early twentieth century. The term gained popularity as a euphemism for propaganda after that originally neutral term acquired a negative connotation during the political upheavals of the early twentieth century.

Across languages

Translations

49 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: عَلَاقَات عَامَّة (ʕalāqāt ʕāmma) — profession
  • Catalan: relacions públiques — profession
  • Chinese Mandarin: 公共關係 /公共关系 (gōnggòng guānxì) — profession
  • Chinese Mandarin: PR — profession
  • Chinese Mandarin: 公關 /公关 (gōngguān) — profession
  • Finnish: suhdetoiminta — profession
  • Finnish: tiedotus- ja suhdetoiminta — profession
  • French: relations publiques — profession
  • French: PR — profession
  • French: RP — profession
  • Georgian: საზოგადოებასთან ურთიერთობა (sazogadoebastan urtiertoba) — profession
  • Georgian: პიარი (ṗiari) — profession
  • German: Öffentlichkeitsarbeit — profession
  • German: ÖA — profession
  • German: Public Relations — profession
  • German: PR — profession
  • Greek: δημόσιες σχέσεις (dimósies schéseis) — profession
  • Hebrew: יחסי ציבור — profession
  • Hebrew: יַחֲסֵי צִבּוּר (yakhasé tsibúr) — profession
  • Hindi: सार्वजनिक संबंध (sārvajnik sambandh) — profession
  • Hindi: पब्लिक रिलेशन्स (pablik rileśans) — profession
  • Hindi: PR — profession
  • Icelandic: almannatengsl — profession
  • Irish: caidreamh poiblí — profession
  • Japanese: パブリック・リレーションズ (paburikku-rirēshonzu) — profession
  • Japanese: PR (pī-āru) — profession
  • Japanese: ピー・アール (pī-āru) — profession
  • Kazakh: қоғаммен қарым-қатынас (qoğammen qarym-qatynas) — profession
  • Korean: 홍보 (hongbo) — profession
  • Korean: PR (piareu) — profession
  • Persian: روابط عمومی — profession
  • Persian: PR — profession
  • Polish: public relations — profession
  • Polish: PR — profession
  • Portuguese: relações públicas — profession
  • Romanian: relații publice — profession
  • Russian: свя́зи с обще́ственностью (svjázi s obščéstvennostʹju) — profession
  • Russian: PR — profession
  • Russian: пиа́р (piár) — profession
  • Scottish Gaelic: dàimh phoblach — profession
  • Spanish: relaciones públicas — profession
  • Spanish: RRPP — profession
  • Swedish: PR — profession
  • Tagalog: pakikitungong-madla — profession
  • Tagalog: pakikisamang-madla — profession
  • Thai: ประชาสัมพันธ์ (bprà-chaa-sǎm-pan) — profession
  • Thai: พีอาร์ (pii-aa) — profession
  • Turkish: PR — profession
  • Welsh: cysylltiadau cyhoeddus — profession