Promo

How to spell promo

5 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce promo

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does promo mean?

1. nounA piece of publicity or a special offer used to advertise a product, event, or service.
2. adjectiveUsed to describe something issued or priced for advertising purposes.

Promo in a sentence

• noun

  The radio station aired a short promo for the weekend concert.

• adjective

  She saved twenty pounds by applying a promo code to her order.

• noun

  Customers received a discount when they entered the promo at checkout.

• adjective

  The shop handed out promo samples near the entrance.

Where does promo come from?

Language of origin: Latin

'Promo' is a twentieth-century clipping of 'promotion', a word English took from the Latin promotio, meaning 'a moving forward' or 'an advancement'. That noun rests on the verb promovere, formed from pro 'forward' and movere 'to move', so the literal sense was simply to push something ahead. In the commercial world 'promotion' came to mean advancing the public profile or sales of a product, and from the 1940s onward, especially in advertising, broadcasting and the music business, speakers trimmed it to the snappy 'promo'. The shortened form spread because it was quick to say in fast-paced industries, and today it covers everything from a teaser advert to a discount offer. The same movere root that gives 'promo' its forward push also sits inside everyday relatives such as 'motion', 'remove' and 'motor'.

How the word is built

• clipping of promotion: pro- (forward)
• mot (move)
• -ion, shortened to 'promo'