publication date: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Formal, neutral; common in academic, legal, business, and publishing contexts.
Quick answer
What does “publication date” mean?
The specific day, month, and year on which a book, article, report, or other document is officially released and made available to the public.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The specific day, month, and year on which a book, article, report, or other document is officially released and made available to the public.
The point in time when intellectual property is formally issued, which can have legal implications for copyright, patent validity, or the timeliness of information. In digital contexts, it can also refer to the timestamp of an online post or update.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. The phrase is used identically in both varieties.
Connotations
Neutral and factual in both regions. Slightly more formal than 'release date'.
Frequency
Equally common in UK and US English within professional and academic registers.
Grammar
How to Use “publication date” in a Sentence
The publication date of [DOCUMENT] is [DATE].[DOCUMENT] has a publication date of [DATE].Please check the publication date.The publication date was moved forward/back.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “publication date” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The journal will publish the issue next week.
- They published the findings in 2022.
American English
- The university press will publish the monograph in fall.
- The agency published the report on its website.
adverb
British English
- The paper was recently published.
- It is a frequently published journal.
American English
- The study was officially published yesterday.
- The blog is published daily.
adjective
British English
- The published article is now available online.
- She is a widely published author.
American English
- The published date is on the copyright page.
- He reviewed the published data.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in project plans for reports, marketing schedules for white papers, and investor communications.
Academic
Crucial for citing sources; determines the currency and validity of research.
Everyday
Used when discussing news articles, blog posts, or the release of a new book.
Technical
A metadata field in bibliographic databases, copyright law, and content management systems.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “publication date”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “publication date”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “publication date”
- Confusing 'publication date' with 'printing date' or 'copyright date'. Using 'publication day' (incorrect). Incorrect preposition: 'publication date for' (less common than 'of').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not always. The publication date is when the work was released. The copyright date is the year legal protection begins, which is often the same but can be earlier if the work was registered or created before publication.
In citations (like APA or MLA), if the full date (day/month) is not available or relevant, you may use only the year as the publication date.
Yes. A 'forthcoming', 'scheduled', or 'anticipated' publication date refers to a future date when a work is planned to be released.
Extremely important. It helps assess the timeliness and relevance of the information, which is critical for news, scientific research, and fast-changing fields like technology.
The specific day, month, and year on which a book, article, report, or other document is officially released and made available to the public.
Publication date is usually formal, neutral; common in academic, legal, business, and publishing contexts. in register.
Publication date: in British English it is pronounced /ˌpʌblɪˈkeɪʃən deɪt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌpʌblɪˈkeɪʃən deɪt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To go live (for digital content)”
- “To hit the shelves/shops (for physical media)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a 'public announcement' on a specific 'date' – the day it becomes public.
Conceptual Metaphor
TIME IS A POINT ON A LINE (The publication date is a fixed marker on the timeline of knowledge dissemination).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is LEAST likely to have a formal 'publication date'?