puffery
puffery Lexical Profile
puffery Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Exaggerated or extravagant praise, especially when used in advertising or promotional publicity.
"Critics dismissed the publisher's claims about the novel as mere marketing puffery."
In law, a subjective promotional statement or opinion that is not considered a legally binding warranty or actionable misrepresentation of fact.
"The court ruled that the car dealership's slogan was permissible puffery rather than fraudulent misrepresentation."
Word Nuance & Usage
In commercial law, puffery refers specifically to subjective, exaggerated promotional claims (such as "the world's best coffee") that no reasonable consumer would interpret as factual, distinguishing it from actionable false advertising.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the mid-18th century from the verb "puff" (meaning to inflate with pride or praise ostentatiously, ultimately of imitative Old English origin) combined with the noun-forming suffix "-ery."