advertising

or ad·ver·tiz·ing

[ad-ver-tahy-zing]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR advertising ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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.

paid announcements; advertisements.

the profession of planning, designing, and writing advertisements.

Origin of advertising

First recorded in 1520–30; advertise + -ing¹

Related formscoun·ter·ad·ver·tis·ing, nounpro·ad·ver·tis·ing, adjectivepro·ad·ver·tiz·ing, adjectiveself-ad·ver·tis·ing, adjective, noun

advertise

or ad·ver·tize

[ad-ver-tahyz, ad-ver-tahyz]

verb (used with object), ad·ver·tised, ad·ver·tis·ing.

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.

to give information to the public about; announce publicly in a newspaper, on radio or television, etc.: to advertise a reward.

to call attention to, in a boastful or ostentatious manner: Stop advertising yourself!

Obsolete. to give notice, advice, or information to; inform: I advertised him of my intention.

Obsolete. to admonish; warn.

verb (used without object), ad·ver·tised, ad·ver·tis·ing.

to ask for something by placing a notice in a newspaper, over radio or television, etc.: to advertise for a house to rent.

to offer goods for sale or rent, solicit funds, etc., by means of advertisements: It pays to advertise.

Cards.

Poker.to bluff so as to make the bluff obvious.
Rummy.to discard a card in order to induce an opponent to discard one of the same suit or denomination.

Origin of advertise

1400–50; late Middle English advertisen < Middle French avertiss-, long stem of avertir < Vulgar Latin *advertire, Latin advertere to advert¹; the expected Middle English *advertishen probably conformed to advertisement or the suffix -ize

Related formsad·ver·tis·a·ble

[ad-ver-tahy-zuh-buh l, ad-ver-tahy-] /ˈæd vərˌtaɪ zə bəl, ˌæd vərˈtaɪ-/, adjectivead·ver·tis·er, nouno·ver·ad·ver·tise, verb, o·ver·ad·ver·tised, o·ver·ad·ver·tis·ing.pre·ad·ver·tise, verb, pre·ad·ver·tised, pre·ad·ver·tis·ing.pre·ad·ver·tis·er, nounre·ad·ver·tise, verb, re·ad·ver·tised, re·ad·ver·tis·ing.un·ad·ver·tised, adjectivewell-ad·ver·tised, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for advertising

pitch, buildup, announcement, proclamation, spread, exposition, exhibition, hoopla, publicity, posting, plug, ballyhoo, broadcasting, hype, puff, promotion, screamer, squib, displaying, PR

Examples from the Web for advertising

Contemporary Examples of advertising

His advertising tells a story, but so do the objects themselves.
Glenn Beck Is Now Selling Hipster Clothes. Really.
Ana Marie Cox
December 20, 2014
All those bloodthirsty tweets and arcane exhortations and now we find out you were an advertising executive—an ad exec!
The Scared Widdle Kitty of ISIS
Jacob Siegel
December 12, 2014
This measure is largely to protect children from the advertising of drugs, which many feel would normalize the experience.
Colorado Weed Dispensaries Celebrate ‘Green Friday’
Abby Haglage
November 28, 2014
Advertising revenue on his YouTube channel earns him an estimated $100,000 a month.
The Addictive Curse of ‘Let’s Plays’
Tom Sykes
November 11, 2014
A spokesperson for Otsuka denied that the advertising is at odds with the science.
Mother’s Little Anti-Psychotic Is Worth $6.9 Billion A Year
Jay Michaelson
November 9, 2014

Historical Examples of advertising

And because I was getting results I got a lot of advertising.
K
Mary Roberts Rinehart
But as you have done the advertising for me, I send you two hundred dollars for your poor.
My Double Life
Sarah Bernhardt
Pee-wee now arranged his advertising masterpieces in order for posting.
Pee-wee Harris
Percy Keese Fitzhugh
They talked loudly, advertising their presence above the quieter groups.
Louisiana Lou
William West Winter
It was to-day's advertising section he was scanning, and the hour not yet one.
The Heads of Apex
Francis Flagg

British Dictionary definitions for advertising

advertising

sometimes US advertizing

noun

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

the business that specializes in creating such publicity

advertisements collectively; publicity

advertise

sometimes US advertize

verb

to present or praise (goods, a service, etc) to the public, esp in order to encourage sales

to make (something, such as a vacancy, article for sale, etc) publicly known, as to possible applicants, buyers, etcto advertise a job

(intr foll by for) to make a public request (for), esp in a newspaper, etcshe advertised for a cook

obsolete to warn; caution

Derived Formsadvertiser or sometimes US advertizer, noun

Word Origin for advertise

C15: from a lengthened stem of Old French avertir, ultimately from Latin advertere to turn one's attention to. See adverse

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for advertising

advertise

early 15c., "to take notice of," from Middle French advertiss-, present participle stem of a(d)vertir "to warn" (12c.), from Latin advertere "turn toward," from ad- "toward" (see ad-) + vertere "to turn" (see versus).

Sense shifted to "to give notice to others, warn" (late 15c.) by influence of advertisement; specific meaning "to call attention to goods for sale, rewards, etc." had emerged by late 18c. Original meaning remains in the verb advert "to give attention to." Related: Advertised; advertising.