advertising

American  

[ad-ver-tahy-zing] / ˈæd vərˌtaɪ zɪŋ /

Or advertizing

noun

1. 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.

2. paid announcements; advertisements.

3. the profession of planning, designing, and writing advertisements.

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advertising British  

/ ˈædvəˌtaɪzɪŋ /

noun

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

2. the business that specializes in creating such publicity

3. advertisements collectively; publicity

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Other Word Forms

• counteradvertising noun
• proadvertising adjective
• proadvertizing adjective
• self-advertising adjective

Etymology

Origin of advertising

First recorded in 1520–30; advertise + -ing ¹

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.

Example Sentences

Naver’s flagship platform business, which includes advertising and online shopping services, maintained strong growth, with operating profit for the segment rising 15%.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

The U.K. advertising group said Tuesday that like-for-like revenue less pass-through costs was down 6.7% in the first quarter compared with the year-earlier period.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

Supporters of such laws argue that social media companies attract users with news stories and hoover up online advertising revenue that would otherwise go to struggling newsrooms.

From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026

She said firms should do proper skin analysis over a period of time to substantiate any claims made by volunteer groups or in advertising.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

I turned my back on Mr. Grassel and pretended to study the red-and-white advertising bunting overhead.

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly