publish

verb

pub·​lish ˈpə-blish How to pronounce publish (audio)
published; publishing; publishes
Synonyms of publishnext

transitive verb

1
a
: to make generally known
b
: to make public announcement of
2
a
: to disseminate to the public
b
: to produce or release for distribution
specifically : print sense 2c
c
: to issue the work of (an author)

intransitive verb

1
: to put out an edition
2
: to have one's work accepted for publication
publishable
ˈpə-bli-shə-bəl How to pronounce publish (audio)
adjective

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of publish in a Sentence

It's a small company that only publishes about four books a year. The university press publishes academic titles. The newspaper is published daily. There is a lot of pressure for professors to publish regularly. He has not published anything for a long time. The magazine published two of my stories.
Recent Examples on the Web This story was originally published April 13, 2024, 5:58 PM. —Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2024 This story was originally published April 13, 2024, 6:25 PM. —Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 14 Apr. 2024 This story was originally published April 13, 2024, 8:50 PM. —Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Apr. 2024 Zuckerberg had a $177 billion net worth when Forbes published its 2024 World’s Billionaires list on April 2. —Sarah Linn, Sacramento Bee, 13 Apr. 2024 Federal prosecutors are reportedly investigating Meta for its role in the sale of illicit drugs on Facebook and Instagram, according to a Wall Street Journal report published last month. —Samantha Murphy Kelly, CNN, 13 Apr. 2024 This article was originally published by Glamour Spain. —Arancha Gamo, Glamour, 13 Apr. 2024 Iran’s Coalition Council of Islamic Revolution Forces published on April 3 a notice of mourning and recognition for the late Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander, Zahedi. —Benjamin Weinthal, Fox News, 13 Apr. 2024 Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber will provide the screenplay based on the book The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts, published by Farley’s brother Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby in 2008. —Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 12 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'publish.' 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

Middle English, modification of Anglo-French publier, from Latin publicare, from publicus public

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of publish was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing publish

Dictionary Entries Near publish

public wrong

publish

published

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Publish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/publish. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.

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Kids Definition

publish

verb
pub·​lish ˈpəb-lish How to pronounce publish (audio)
1
: to make generally known : make public announcement of
2
a
: to produce or release for publication
especially : print entry 2 sense 2c
b
: to print the work of
publish a poet
publishable
-ə-bəl How to pronounce publish (audio)
adjective

Legal Definition

publish

transitive verb
pub·​lish
1
: to make known to another or to the public generally

Note: For purposes of defamation, a defamatory communication made to only one third party may be considered published.

2
a
: to proclaim officially
publish an enactment
b
: to declare (a will) to be a true and valid expression of one's last will
c
: to reproduce (an opinion) in a reporter
3
a
: to disseminate to the public or provide notice of to the public or to an individual (as through a mass medium)
ordered to publish the citation in the legal notices for three weeks
see also notice by publication at notice
b
: to distribute or offer for distribution to the public copies of (a copyrightable work) by some transfer of ownership, rental, lease, or loan
4
: utter
publisher noun

More from Merriam-Webster on publish

Nglish: Translation of publish for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of publish for Arabic Speakers

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