Question: Where does the word propaganda come from?

Answer: The Latin verb propagare means “to reproduce (a plant) by cuttings; spread for sprouting; propagate; enlarge.” The modern use of the term, however, is grounded in the Roman Catholic Church. Pope Gregory XV, in 1622, created a congregation specifically for organizing all of the Roman Catholic Church’s missionary activities under his control. He called it the Congregatio de Propaganda Fide or, roughly translated, “the congregation for propagating the faith.” It began being referred to informally as “Propaganda.” The common English usage of the word as we know it today was established by the 1790s.