advert
1verb (used without object)
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Origin of advert
1Words nearby advert
Definition for advert (2 of 2)
Origin of advert
2VOCAB BUILDER
What does advert mean?
Advert is short for advertisement. It is primarily used in the U.K. in the same way that American speakers use the word ad.
Advert is also a verb that means to call attention to or reference something. This is easy to remember since the purpose of advertisements is to get your attention.
Example: There are way too many adverts on this page.
Where does advert come from?
As a shortening of advertisement, advert has been in use since at least the 1800s. The first records of advert used as a verb come from around the 1400s. It comes from the Latin verb advertere, meaning “to turn one’s attention to (something),” from a combination of ad-, meaning “toward,” and vertere, “to turn.” The word advertise is based on the same root.
The very similar-looking verb avert is based on the same root as the verb advert but has just about the opposite meaning: to avert is to turn away or look away, but to advert is to turn one’s attention toward something. As a verb, advert is always followed by to. If a meeting goes off on a tangent, you could advert to the topic at hand. When you’re chatting with someone, you might briefly advert to something you just heard about—meaning you remark about it or comment on it. These are common actions, but advert is not a commonly used verb.
It is much more commonly used as a noun meaning “ad.” Speakers of British English see adverts in all the same places that American speakers see ads, and they have different names for those things, too, like the tele (TV) and the tube (subway).
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What are some other forms related to advert?
- adverts (plural)
What are some synonyms for advert?
What are some words that share a root or word element with advert?
What are some words that often get used in discussing advert?
What are some words advert may be commonly confused with?
How is advert used in real life?
When it refers to an advertisement, advert is used informally—exactly the same way ad is used.
American shows have way too many adverts.
— Don Dada 🇯🇲 (@AshhOnline) April 4, 2020
Let me tell you something I’m not watching a movie with adverts
— slept through the flight (@Kai_InTheKut) April 5, 2020
The new trend in taking vitamins. Ovaltine advert, 1946. pic.twitter.com/LycUjEZO5u
— Pulp Librarian (@PulpLibrarian) March 26, 2020
Try using advert!
Is advert used correctly in the following sentence?
Advert to the fine print on the advert before you sign up for the promotional deal.