promote

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "promote" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to talk about things such as encouraging others to engage in a particular activity, giving a person a higher rank or position, or advertising a product or service. Example: The company promoted their new product by running an advertising campaign on television.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

I want to promote marriage, defend marriage, encourage marriage.

The Guardian

By pursuing his own interest he frequently promotes that of the society more effectually than when he really intends to promote it.

The Economist

The energy-bar maker cut financial support for the athletes but continued to promote the film.

The Guardian

And an incredibly cheesy Budweiser advert uses the bond between a man and his dog to promote road safety.

The Guardian

The girls reportedly filmed the video to promote dancehall classes at a local school, Art Dance, and a photograph from the shoot on Radetskaya's social network page listed the times that the class meets.

The Guardian

Today Casa E offers a varied programme of video pieces, installation art and photography, and runs an annual prize to promote the work of emerging artists.

The Guardian - Travel

We see him as the only high profile UK politician outside of Green party who has actually delivered real improvements to our environment and who has taken risks to promote green innovations.

The Guardian - Opinion

Set up by some of the team from the iconic Buoyancy club nights, Alfresco Disco pride themselves on putting on nights that promote a free-spirited vibe, away from the shackles that can often restrict inner-city clubs.

The Guardian - Music

The group have launched a kickstarter to get the project fully funded which will run until the end of February and have started to promote the app in the US with an eerily realistic look alike.

The Guardian

Hong also praised Annan's efforts and said China is open "towards any proposals that would help promote a political solution to the Syria issue".

The Guardian

"I understand you have a particular view about this development that is not widely shared and certainly not shared by the Queensland public... but it is the core role of our representatives overseas to promote the interests of Australian business," he said.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "promote" in a business context, be specific about what you are promoting and the desired outcome. For example, instead of saying "We want to promote our brand", try "We want to promote our brand through a social media campaign to increase brand awareness by 20%."

Common error

Using "promote" excessively in marketing copy can make your message sound generic and uninspired. Try using more descriptive verbs like "showcase", "highlight", or "feature" to make your communication more engaging.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "promote" is as a transitive verb, requiring a direct object. It indicates the act of supporting or encouraging something to advance or become more popular. Ludwig examples demonstrate this, showing how "promote" is used to describe active efforts to boost awareness or growth.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

56%

Formal & Business

23%

Science

21%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The word "promote" is a versatile and commonly used transitive verb, meaning to advance, encourage, or publicize something. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically correct and suitable for a wide array of contexts, particularly in news, business, and scientific writing. While highly versatile, it is essential to avoid overuse in marketing materials and to select more descriptive verbs when possible. Alternatives such as "advance", "encourage", and "publicize" can offer nuanced alternatives, enriching your writing and ensuring that your message is both clear and engaging. The phrase is "very common", so mastering its use is key to effective communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Advance

Focuses on the act of moving something forward, similar to supporting and encouraging.

Encourage

Highlights the act of giving support or confidence, closely related to fostering growth.

Publicize

Emphasizes making something widely known, often for commercial purposes.

Advocate

Stresses publicly supporting or recommending a particular cause or policy.

Boost

Implies an increase or improvement, often used in the context of sales or performance.

Further

Indicates helping something to develop or succeed.

Champion

Suggests vigorously defending or supporting a cause or person.

Push

Implies actively promoting or advocating for something, often with force or determination.

Spur

Means to stimulate or encourage action, growth, or development.

Cultivate

Implies fostering the growth of something, often used in the context of relationships or skills.

FAQs

How to use "promote" in a sentence?

You can use "promote" to describe efforts to advance a cause, product, or person. For example, "The company aims to "promote sustainable practices"." or "He was promoted to senior manager after years of dedicated service."

What can I say instead of "promote"?

Alternatives to "promote" include "advance", "encourage", or "publicize" depending on the specific context. Each carries a slightly different nuance.

Which is correct, "promote" or "promote to"?

"Promote" is generally used with a direct object (e.g., "promote a product"). When indicating a new position, use "promote to" (e.g., "promote to manager").

What's the difference between "promote" and "advertise"?

"Promote" is a broader term that encompasses various activities to support something, while "advertise" specifically refers to making something known through paid announcements. You can "promote a product" through advertising, but also through public relations and other means.