advert
1 Americanverb (used without object)
-
to remark or comment; refer (usually followed byto ).
He adverted briefly to the news of the day.
- Synonyms:
- allude
-
to turn the attention (usually followed byto ).
The committee adverted to the business at hand.
noun
noun
verb
Usage
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.
Etymology
Origin of advert1
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English a(d)verten, from Old French a(d)vertir (with ad- replacing a- a- 5 ), from Latin advertere “to pay attention,” literally, “to turn toward,” from ad- ad- + vertere “to turn”
Origin of advert2
By shortening
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.
Soon after the carry-on incident, Scott saw an advert for an experimental gene therapy from a biotech startup called Minicircle and quickly signed up.
From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026
Tens of millions of Americans saw director Ridley Scott's one-minute Apple advert during the Super Bowl on January 22, 1984.
From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026
For years there was an Irn Bru advert on the rooftop and a red neon Bells sign on the dome itself, which made it a distinctive landmark in the city.
From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026
She became known internationally for a Bugle Boy jeans advert in the late 1980s and later worked as a film and TV producer.
From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026
It had fallen open at this glossy double page advert, and though the paper had gone soggy and there was mud at one corner, you could see it well enough.
From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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.
