Publication

How to spell publication

11 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce publication

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does publication mean?

1. nounA printed or digital work, such as a book, magazine, or journal, issued for the public.
2. nounThe act or process of making something publicly available, especially in print.

Publication in a sentence

• The research appeared in a respected scientific publication.

• The author celebrated the publication of her first novel.

• She subscribes to a weekly business publication for industry news.

• The report was held back before publication to verify the figures.

Where does publication come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word descends from the Latin publicatio, meaning 'a making public' or 'a confiscation for the state', which was built on the verb publicare, 'to make public or place in public ownership'. That verb in turn came from the adjective publicus, meaning 'belonging to the people' or 'open to all', itself related to populus, the Latin word for 'the people'. English borrowed the term through Old French in the late 1300s, at first carrying the broad sense of announcing something openly to the public. Once the printing press arrived, the meaning narrowed toward issuing printed material for sale or distribution, giving us the modern sense of a book, magazine, or journal. The spelling stays faithful to its Latin parent, so remembering the buried word 'public' inside it keeps the c and the i in their right places.

How the word is built

• public- (from publicus: of the people, open)
• -ation (noun of action)