propaganda, n.
Forms:
α. 1600s– propaganda, 1800s propagandâ (rare).
β. (In sense 2) 1900s– propagandum.
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Origin: A borrowing from Latin; partly modelled on a French lexical item. Etymons: Latin propaganda, Congregatio de propaganda fide.
Etymology: < post-classical Latin propaganda (in the title Congregatio de propaganda fide congregation for propagating the faith (1623 or earlier; compare Italian Congregazione di propaganda (1632 or earlier)), feminine gerundive of classical Latin propāgāre , prōpāgāre propagate v. In later use after French propagande (1689 in Congrégation de la propagande, denoting the committee of Cardinals responsible for foreign missions (although apparently not used independently in this sense until later: 1787 or earlier); 1790 denoting an organization for the propagation of ideas; 1792 denoting the dissemination of ideas).
Compare (all largely after French) Spanish propaganda (late 18th cent. or earlier, earliest in sense 1), Italian propaganda (a1751 in sense 1(a); 1797 in sense 2), Dutch propaganda (first half of the 19th cent., earliest in sense 3), German Propaganda (18th cent. denoting the committee of Cardinals responsible for foreign missions (now obsolete); c1792 or earlier denoting an organization (of French revolutionaries) for the propagation of ideas, 1796 or earlier denoting the dissemination of ideas), Danish propaganda (1800 or earlier, earliest in sense 2). The β forms result from reinterpretation of the form propaganda as a plural, by analogy with e.g. memorandum n. The use as a count noun has been criticized by usage guides.
1. Roman Catholic Church. Usually with the. (a) More fully Congregation of (the) Propaganda . A committee of Cardinals responsible for foreign missions, founded in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV (officially known since 1967 as the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples); (b) (more fully College of (the) Propaganda ) a college established in Rome in 1627 by Pope Urban VIII for the training of missionaries. Now historical.
[1668 T. St. Serfe Tarugo's Wiles iii. 22
This same round pile of building like a Pigeon-house is his Chappel of Ease,..and observe it is the exact Antipodes of the propaganda fide at Rome.]
1679 Bp. J. Gordon Reformed Bishop ii. 31
And that the Roman Propaganda may not rise up in the Great Audit, against the Governours of the Reformed Church, they should be no less solicitous for it.
1718 J. Ozell tr. J. Pitton de Tournefort Voy. Levant II. 237
The Congregation of the Propaganda gives them at present but twenty five Roman Crowns a Man.
1766 C. Stonor in E. H. Burton Life Bp. Challoner
(1909)
II. xxvii. 84
I sent by the French post, enclosed to Dr. Howard, a letter from Propaganda to Bishop Challoner.
1819 T. Hope Anastasius
(1820)
I. ix. 168
An Italian missionary of the Propaganda.
1869 W. B. Ullathorne Let. 2 Dec. in C. Butler Vatican Council
(1930)
I. ix. 160
Propaganda is working day and night to clear off its affairs.
1880 Lady A. Blunt Jrnl. 17 Mar.
(1986)
115
He is of the Syriac United Church, and was educated at the Propaganda at Rome.
1911 Catholic Encycl. XII. 169/2
He discharged the duties of theological professor at the College of Propaganda.
1957 F. L. Cross Oxf. Dict. Christian Church 1112/1
It was not until 6 June 1622 that Gregory XV created the Congregation of Propaganda by the bull ‘Inscrutabili Divinæ’.
1998 B. L. Bassham C. W. Chapman ix. 167
In 1833 he attended the College of the Propaganda in Rome, where he distinguished himself in languages.
1679—1998(Hide quotations)
2. An organization, scheme, or movement for the propagation of a particular doctrine, practice, etc.
1790 J. MacPherson Let. 27 Sept. in A. Aspinall Corresp. George, Prince of Wales
(1964)
II. 98
All Kings have..a new race of Pretenders to contend with, the disciples of the propaganda at Paris or, as they call themselves, Les Ambassadeurs de genre humain.
1800 Aurora
(Philadelphia)
17 Apr.
We have thrown some useful light upon the Illuminati of Connecticut and Massachusetts, and lately upon a similar propaganda in Delaware State.
1879 F. W. Farrar Life & Work St. Paul I. iii. xi. 208
It seems unlikely that Saul should at once have been able to substitute a propaganda for an inquisition.
1908 Jrnl. Philos., Psychol. & Sci. Methods 5 251
The entire attitude..of such books..seems to me unrelated to the procedure by which science expands, and seems affiliated to what is often termed a propagandum.
1946 J. Cary Moonlight 273
All these parties and isms and propagandums make me tired.
1963 E. Taylor Fall of Dynasties xiv. 263
The garrison troops in Petrograd had been exposed to many competing propagandas.
2001 Sunday Herald
(Glasgow)
(Nexis)
28 Oct. 18
The different propagandas of war and rampantly optimistic consumerism were being shovelled down audiences' throats.
1790—2001(Hide quotations)
3. The systematic dissemination of information, esp. in a biased or misleading way, in order to promote a political cause or point of view. Also: information disseminated in this way; the means or media by which such ideas are disseminated. Cf. black propaganda n. at black adj. and n. Compounds 1e(a).
1822 T. Carlyle Let. 7 Dec. in Coll. Lett. T. & J. W. Carlyle
(1970)
II. 224
I think you have done well positively to decline any interference with their propagandâ purposes.
1842 Communist Chronicle & Communitarian Apostle I. v. 77
The propaganda fund shall be devoted to the propagation of the doctrines of communism.
1875 P. K. O'Clery Hist. Ital. Revol. v. 165
The literary propaganda of Mazzinianism.
1886 tr. K. Marx & F. Engels Manifesto Communists iii. 27
Future history resolved itself, for them, into the propaganda and the practical realization of their peculiar social plans.
1908 A. L. Lilley & G. Tyrrell tr. Programme of Modernism 102
The Church..soon felt a need of new methods of propaganda and government.
1911 G. B. Shaw Shewing-up Blanco Posnet Pref. in Doctor's Dilemma 324
Though we tolerate..the propaganda of Anarchism as a political theory..we clearly cannot..tolerate assassination of rulers on the ground that it is ‘propaganda by deed’ or sociological experiment.
1929 G. Seldes You can't print That! 427
The term propaganda has not the sinister meaning in Europe which it has acquired in America... In European business offices the word means advertising or boosting generally.
1938 R. G. Collingwood Princ. Art ii. 32
Where a certain practical activity is stimulated as expedient, that which stimulates it is advertisement or (in the current modern sense, not the old sense) propaganda.
1957 R. N. C. Hunt Guide to Communist Jargon 132
The Soviet Government..has an elaborate machinery for conducting such propaganda abroad.
1976 A. J. Russell Pour Hemlock xiv. 166
White propaganda, the truth; gray, a composition of half-truths and distortions; or black, a pack of lies.
1990 Times Educ. Suppl. 15 June B8/5
A central debate is about education as propaganda or as study.
1822—1990(Hide quotations)
Compounds
C1. attributive (chiefly in sense 3).
propaganda campaign n.
1905 Daily Northwestern
(Oshkosh, Wisconsin)
31 Jan. 7/3
The railroads are conducting a very active propaganda campaign.
1937 A. Koestler Spanish Test. vi. 133
One of the most effective propaganda campaigns launched by the rebels was that relating to the alleged shooting of hostages by the Madrid Government.
2002 Mandala Mar.–May 22/2
The Japanese overlords..tried to gain Mongol allegiance and military support through a propaganda campaign.
1905—2002(Hide quotations)
propaganda chief n.
1846 Times 12 May 5/5
Father Ambrosio, appointed by the Propaganda Chief of the Missions in China, had embarked at Naples with five other missionaries.
1942 Short Guide Great Brit.
(U.S. War Dept.)
1
The first and major duty Hitler has given his propaganda chiefs is to separate Britain and America.
2001 Guardian 19 May i. 19/2
It was particularly critical of the party's use of ‘überfremdung’; meaning overforeignisation, in election campaigns, a word taken from Hitler's propaganda chief, Joseph Goebbels.
1846—2001(Hide quotations)
propaganda film n.
1916 Times 9 Nov. 5/6
A propaganda film in five parts dealing with some of the causes and effects of the declining birth-rate,..was shown yesterday.
1973 D. May Laughter in Djakarta x. 161
It's a propaganda film..anti-neo-colonialism.
1997 Mail on Sunday 10 Aug. (Night & Day section) 38/2
Stalin was shown in a spooky propaganda film of the time, striking a pose in his white military tunic while a peasant girl begs to kiss him.
1916—1997(Hide quotations)
propaganda fund n.
1842 Communist Chronicle & Communitarian Apostle I. v. 77
The propaganda fund shall be devoted to the propagation of the doctrines of communism.
1993 L. G. Chafee Polit. Protest & Street Art i. iv. 72
The PNV built an extensive propaganda fund and carried out widespread publicity.
1842—1993(Hide quotations)
propaganda leaflet n.
1917 Times 24 Feb. 7/7
The officials refuse to give information as to who is supplying them with this and other German propaganda leaflets.
1947 F. Frenaye tr. C. Levi Christ stopped at Eboli
(1948)
xvii. 162
When their ship came back to Trieste from Odessa, Communist propaganda leaflets were found on board.
2003 Time 10 Mar. 35/2
Propaganda leaflets are dropped daily, promising punishment or death to Iraqi troops who resist.
1917—2003(Hide quotations)
propaganda meeting n.
1899 Two Worlds 6 Jan. 7/1
Propaganda meetings will be conducted in the Cowgate-street Club and the Labour Institute.
1992 I. Cohen Vilna xvi. 342
The difficulty of arranging a propaganda meeting, in view of the risk of arrest and imprisonment.
1899—1992(Hide quotations)
propaganda play n.
1905 Westm. Gaz. 24 Jan. 3/1
A propaganda play.
1961 K. Tynan Curtains I. 117
Bad propaganda plays occur when the idea being propagated is trite and too repetitively stressed.
1996 Boston Globe
(Nexis)
19 Jan. 57
Shakespeare's ‘Richard III’ is less a tragedy than a juicy Tudor propaganda play.
1905—1996(Hide quotations)
propaganda poster n.
1918 Washington Post 23 June
No propaganda poster artist with an eye to lurid backgrounds could have secured such an effect.
1935 N. Mitchison We have been Warned iii. 260
They went on to the birth-control clinic... The place was full of the usual propaganda posters.
1993 Classic CD June 5/1
1930s propaganda posters in which square-jawed young men..look out to a glorious future under Communism.
1918—1993(Hide quotations)
propaganda raid n.
1919 Fort Wayne
(Indiana)
News & Sentinel 14 June 10/6
The propaganda raids the air forces of both the allies and the Germans showered on each other during the war.
1996 Scotsman
(Nexis)
19 Dec. 6
I've got this important propaganda raid on the Highlands of Scotland today.
1919—1996(Hide quotations)
propaganda technique n.
1927 H. D. Lasswell
(title)
Propaganda technique in the World War.
1975 New Yorker 21 Apr. 133/1
The Communists are taking full advantage of their highly developed propaganda techniques.
2004 J. Landers Weekly War vii. 256
Pejorative labels were attached to guerrillas and communist officials.., a common propaganda technique.
1927—2004(Hide quotations)
propaganda war n.
1838 tr. A.-A.-L. de Caulaincourt Recoll. Duke of Vicenza I. iv. 74
The English Cabinet was well aware that a propaganda war was impossible as long as Russia should continue allied to France.
1929 Olean
(N.Y.)
Evening Times 26 Apr. 5/1
The soft collar industry and the stiff collar industry are engaged in a large propaganda war.
2002 Hist. Scotl. May–June 28/2
The mother of the murdered earl waged a propaganda war, whereby the victim was sanitised, his killer vilified.
1838—2002(Hide quotations)
propaganda warfare n.
1840 Times 2 Dec. 5/4
He was no partisan of a propaganda warfare.
1942 R.A.F. Jrnl. 18 Apr. 31
Propaganda warfare in the field was used.
2004 B. Lewis From Babel to Dragomans i. viii. 81
It [sc. the conflict] was carried on by means of economic and more especially propaganda warfare.
1840—2004(Hide quotations)
propaganda work n.
1866 C. M. Butler Inner Rome xxiv. 323
He is..a blundering Irishman, whose ignorance and assumption it is difficult to avoid injudiciously rebuking when he is engaged in this propaganda work.
1898 Westm. Gaz. 25 Jan. 5/3
We would rather see our money spent in propaganda work than paying election expenses.
1988 F. Tomlin T. S. Eliot vi. 130
I was doing some propaganda work for the BBC, some of which was ‘beamed’ to the Arab population of Libya.
1866—1988(Hide quotations)
C2.
propaganda machine n. an organization responsible for the dissemination of propaganda.
1916 Times 1 June 10/4
The German General Staff had an excellent propaganda machine which would know exactly how to use every word of Sir A. Markham's speech.
1972 H. MacInnes Message from Malaga ii. 35
A propaganda machine is only as effective as people are stupid.
1996 Times 20 May 10/1
Inspired in large measure by the Spanish propaganda machine, the world now thinks of Gibraltar as nothing more than a smugglers' cove.
1916—1996(Hide quotations)
