DictionaryAI

publish

verb
PUB-lish/ˈpʌblɪʃ/

Formspublishes, publishing, published

7 meanings of publish

Practice

  1. 1
    produce a workverbtransitive
    To prepare and issue a book, newspaper, magazine, recording, or other work, or the work of an author, for people to buy or read.

    A small press agreed to publish his first novel.

    A small press published her first novel, and a larger house bought the paperback rights a year later.

    UsageOften passive: was published by a press, published in a journal, or published online.

    Similarrelease

  2. 2
    verbintransitive
    To appear or become available in a printed publication or other medium.

    The interview will publish at the same time in three countries.

    Her review of the new opera publishes Sunday on the paper's website and in print on Monday.

    UsageUsually with a time or place: the review publishes Sunday. Comes out and is published say the same thing.

    Similarappear, run

  3. 3
    verbintransitive
    To have one's work accepted and appear in a publication.

    Researchers must publish regularly to keep their positions.

    He published widely throughout his academic career.

    UsageOften about researchers: publish widely, publish in a journal, and the set phrase publish or perish.

  4. 4
    verbtransitive
    To post a message publicly on a blog, forum, or similar online medium.

    She published a detailed thread on the forum overnight.

    Users can publish updates directly to their followers.

    UsageTakes a post, thread or update, often with on or to: publish on a forum, publish to followers.

    Similarpost, share

    Note

    The Internet's extension of a word that has always meant making something public, from Latin publicare, 'to make known to the people'. Where the printing sense often puts a publisher between writer and reader, here writers can be their own publishers.

  5. 5
    announceverbtransitive
    To make something known by announcing it to the public.

    They will publish the names of the winners tomorrow.

    As the custom required, the priest published the banns on three Sundays before the wedding, giving anyone with an objection time to speak up.

    UsageThe object is usually news or a fact: publish the names, the results, a decision.

    Similarannounce, publicize, disclose, reveal, proclaim

    Oppositeconceal, suppress, withhold

    Note

    The meaning closest to the Latin "make known, declare": what gets published is news or a notice, not a product. When no newspaper publishes a victim's name, the papers are withholding information, not declining to print a work. That is the line between this and issuing printed work.

Less common meanings

  1. 6
    verb
    To make information, such as an event, available to software components that have subscribed to receive it.
  2. 7
    verb
    To preach and share religious teachings publicly, as practiced by Jehovah's Witnesses.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of publish apart? Answer 4 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

From Middle English 'publicen' (its ending later reshaped by analogy with words like 'banish' and 'finish'), from Old French 'publier', from Latin 'publicare' ('to make public, make known, declare', and earlier 'to confiscate for public use'), from 'publicus' ('pertaining to the people, public').

Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 6 facts