Gazettes

Gazette is a term used to describe a public journal or newspaper that publishes official notices, legal acts, and other public information. Historically, gazettes served as the primary channel by which governments announced laws, decrees, appointments, court notices, and military orders, and they also carried general news or advertisements. The word comes from the Italian gazzetta and entered English in the early modern period; the form later specialized as an official publication in many countries.

Official gazettes are government publications that record statutes, regulations, decrees, and public notices. Many countries maintain an official gazette or official journal for legal publicity, often titled something like Official Gazette, Gazette of Acts and Notices, or the London Gazette. The London Gazette, established in 1665, is one of the oldest official journals and remains the UK’s public record of legal notices and government acts. Other examples include national or regional official gazettes, and historical editions such as the Edinburgh and Dublin gazettes.

In addition to official notices, some gazette titles are general-purpose newspapers that adopted the name gazette to signal authority and reliability rather than official status; examples include historical papers such as Gazzetta di Milano or various sport and regional publications.

With the rise of digital media, many gazettes are now published online and searchable, making legal notices and statutes accessible to the public. See also official journal, public notice.