advertising

American  

[ad-ver-tahy-zing] / ˈæd vərˌtaɪ zɪŋ /

Or advertizing

noun

1. the act or practice of calling public attention to one's product, service, need, etc., especially by paid announcements in newspapers and magazines, over radio or television, on billboards, etc..

   to get more customers by advertising.

2. paid announcements; advertisements.

3. the profession of planning, designing, and writing advertisements.

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advertising British  

/ ˈædvəˌtaɪzɪŋ /

noun

1. the promotion of goods or services for sale through impersonal media, such as radio or television

2. the business that specializes in creating such publicity

3. advertisements collectively; publicity

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• self-advertising
  adjective
• proadvertising
  adjective
• counteradvertising
  noun
• proadvertizing
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of advertising

First recorded in 1520–30; advertise + -ing ¹

Explanation

Advertising is the act of drawing the public’s attention to something, usually to sell it. Whatever is written on the sandwich board you're wearing is what you're advertising. Advertising is getting the word out — whether it’s on a billboard, in a magazine ad, on a commercial, on the side of a blimp, or by singing it from the highest mountaintop. If you want to let people know about a product, service, or candidate, you run an advertising campaign. The word advertising may also be used for the advertisements themselves or the business of creating advertisements.

Example Sentences

On the other: the operators of SoFi Stadium, Intuit Dome and the Kia Forum — who want the billboard network gone and have their own advertising interests in the stadium district.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

It stated the mask was "clinically proven to reduce wrinkles in four weeks" but the advertising watchdog said it did not provide enough evidence to support this claim.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

By contrast, Hilton spent just a few million dollars on media advertising, he said in an interview last week.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

“It’s not just about engagement metrics or advertising campaigns anymore,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

Abby’s dad had the banner rushed, and it stretched across Main Street advertising the festival.

From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry