advertise
Americanverb (used with object)
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advertises,
present (3rd person singular)
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advertised,
past participle, past
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advertising
present participle
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to announce or praise (a product, service, etc.) in some public medium of communication in order to induce people to buy or use it.
to advertise a new brand of toothpaste.
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to give information to the public about; announce publicly in a newspaper, on radio or television, etc..
to advertise a reward.
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to call attention to, in a boastful or ostentatious manner.
Stop advertising yourself!
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Obsolete. to give notice, advice, or information to; inform.
I advertised him of my intention.
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Obsolete. to admonish; warn.
verb (used without object)
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advertises,
present (3rd person singular)
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advertised,
past participle, past
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advertising
present participle
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to ask for something by placing a notice in a newspaper, over radio or television, etc..
to advertise for a house to rent.
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to offer goods for sale or rent, solicit funds, etc., by means of advertisements.
It pays to advertise.
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Cards.
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Poker. to bluff so as to make the bluff obvious.
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Rummy. to discard a card in order to induce an opponent to discard one of the same suit or denomination.
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verb
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to present or praise (goods, a service, etc) to the public, esp in order to encourage sales
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to make (something, such as a vacancy, article for sale, etc) publicly known, as to possible applicants, buyers, etc
to advertise a job
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to make a public request (for), esp in a newspaper, etc
she advertised for a cook
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obsolete to warn; caution
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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advertisernoun
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preadvertisernoun
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overadvertiseverb
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preadvertiseverb
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readvertiseverb
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advertisableadjective
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unadvertisedadjective
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well-advertisedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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advertisesimple
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advertisessimple
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have advertisedperfect
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has advertisedperfect
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am advertisingprogressive
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are advertisingprogressive
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is advertisingprogressive
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have been advertisingperfect progressive
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has been advertisingperfect progressive
Past
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advertisedsimple
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had advertisedperfect
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was advertisingprogressive
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were advertisingprogressive
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had been advertisingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of advertise
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English advertisen, from Middle French avertiss-, long stem of avertir, from Vulgar Latin advertire (unrecorded), Latin advertere “to pay attention,” literally, “to turn toward” ( see advert 1); the expected Middle English advertishen (unrecorded) probably conformed to advertisement or the suffix -ize
Explanation
The verb advertise means to publicize a service or product in order to try to get you to buy or use it. If you see people eating delicious-looking chocolate in a television commercial, for example, you'll probably want to buy it. You don't have to use television, radio, or print media to advertise something — or even try to sell it at all. In fact, the word advertise can also simply mean to call attention to something. Your neighbors might advertise their lottery win by parking flashy cars in the driveway and having an endless supply of packages delivered to their house.
Vocabulary lists containing advertise
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The new rules would allow airlines to advertise components of airfare more prominently than the total price.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Despite this, smartphones are widely used and billboards in cities advertise the latest internet deals.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
The whole process was documented by the matchmaking agency in a series of glossy photos, which they also use to advertise their services on Chinese social media.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
Ikea embraced the online buzz about Alexander Skarsgård’s upcoming role in “Wicker” to help advertise a rattan bench.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
This 1640 painting by Jacob Marrel is from a catalog used by flower merchants to advertise newly cultivated varieties for sale.
From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman
The physician behind it advertises direct consultations costing as much as $18,000.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
Pronto advertises hourly services ranging from window cleaning to "after-party express clean-ups", while Urban Company offers everything from repairs to salon treatments at the touch of a button.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
On its official website, the court advertises itself to visitors as the “final arbiter of the law,” and thus the Constitution’s “guardian and interpreter.”
From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026
In some cases, these listings are kept from the broader public for several weeks before Compass more widely advertises them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026
To make certain that we shall at all times be prepared to repel insects, an exclusive New York store advertises a pocket-sized insecticide dispenser, suitable for the purse or for beach, golf, or fishing gear.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
At the same time, survivors of domestic violence or stalking use these surveillance products for their advertised purpose: to monitor their personal safety.
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026
RANCHI, India—When the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand advertised in 2023 for 583 new officials to enforce alcohol regulations, more than 500,000 people applied.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
The categories haven’t changed much over the years, but the average yearly cost of attendance has nearly doubled along with the advertised sticker prices.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026
The cash value was 75% of the advertised prize in 2021; now it’s just 43%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Noreena did have, as advertised, marbleish skin, roseish lips and cheeks, largeish eyes, one blue, one green, hourglassish form, and easily the most extraordinary collection of hats ever assembled.
From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman
But companies go under and relaunch with new advertising all the time.
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026
Moreover, Meta stands to improve the returns on its AI investments by integrating models into its advertising technology even more, Post noted.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
“The full fare advertising rule was intended to prevent consumer confusion or deception by advertisements of low base fares that did not reflect the total cost of air transportation,” the document said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Computer programming, advertising and the pharmaceutical industry were areas of strength, the ONS said.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Then he’d buy a natty suit so he could take meetings with advertising executives.
From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
