promote

Promote is a verb with several related meanings centered on advancing, encouraging, or making something more widely known. The core senses involve moving something forward or upward: to raise someone to a higher rank or position (for example, promoted to supervisor); to support the growth or success of something, such as a program, idea, or policy; and to advertise or publicize goods, services, or events to a broader audience.

Etymology: Promote comes from Latin promovere, pro- meaning forward and movere meaning to move.

In employment contexts, promote denotes the act of elevating an employee to a higher grade or role. In marketing and communications, it means to publicize or endorse a product, service, event, or idea, often through campaigns and sponsorships; the noun forms promotion and promotional are common. In policymaking and advocacy, individuals or groups promote causes or reforms by urging support or adoption.

Usage notes: The phrase promote to or promote someone to is standard for rank changes; promote by itself can take a direct object (promote a product) or be used with a purpose (promote peace). The word carries a positive valence but should be used precisely to avoid ambiguity between advancement, advocacy, and publicity.

Examples: A manager may be promoted after a successful year; a charity promotes literacy through outreach programs; a company runs a promotional campaign for a new device.