advertising
Americannoun
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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.
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paid announcements; advertisements.
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the profession of planning, designing, and writing advertisements.
noun
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the promotion of goods or services for sale through impersonal media, such as radio or television
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the business that specializes in creating such publicity
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advertisements collectively; publicity
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of advertising
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.
Vocabulary lists containing advertising
Material World: Shopping Lingo
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"Ad Power," "Without Commercials," and "What's Wrong with Advertising"
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Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 7
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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.
If federal regulation is enacted, enforcement could still prove challenging given difficulties verifying the ages of online users and determining which ads are deemed as advertising betting.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
It's a central fixture in his television and internet advertising campaigns.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
French advertising company Publicis reached a deal to acquire the data specialist for a total enterprise value of $2.2 billion.
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
We were poised to, but TiVo overnight took all the advertising money out of our budget.
From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026
I noticed signs advertising Main Street Fest and our rally posted all over.
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
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.
