Propaganda

noun (usually uncountable; also attributive, as in "propaganda machine")

/ˌprɒpəˈɡændə/

The systematic dissemination of information — often biased, selective, or misleading — by a state, organisation, or movement to promote a particular political cause, ideology, or point of view.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

In an era of digital echo chambers, the State must distinguish legitimate public communication from propaganda, for the systematic manufacture of consent through half-truths corrodes the informed citizenry on which a deliberative democracy ultimately rests.

Synonyms

disinformationindoctrinationagitpropspinbrainwashingpublicity

Antonyms

truthobjectivityimpartialityfactual reporting

🌱 Word Family

propagandist (n/adj), propagandize (v), propagandistic (adj), propagate (v), propagation (n)

🔡 Root

New Latin prōpāganda from prōpāgāre = to propagate/spread; from Congregātiō dē Prōpāgandā Fidē (1622)

📜 Etymology

From New Latin prōpāganda, short for Congregātiō dē Prōpāgandā Fidē ("Congregation for Propagating the Faith"), a committee of cardinals established by Pope Gregory XV in 1622 to supervise foreign missions; the political sense developed in the early 20th century.

🧠 Memory Hook

Think "PROPAGATE an AGENDA"—propaganda is the deliberate spreading (propagare = to propagate) of a one-sided agenda, just as a gardener propagates a single chosen plant everywhere.

🧭 Ethics & Integrity 📖 Seen in: Information Ethics, Conscience & Ethic...

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