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.
But to borrow from the famous advertising line, today’s S&P 500 is not your father’s S&P 500.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026
Neither is now advertising the state of the two countries' alliance.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
Jordan Henderson has not been in the England set-up since the World Cup, where he fell over an advertising hoarding following England's win over Mexico in the Azteca Stadium and broke his arm.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
Advertising revenue increased 9% in the quarter, driven by growth in digital advertising.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026
The whole street is stacked with buildings that have signs advertising famous singers and jazz bands like Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Cab Calloway, and Duke Ellington.
From "Betty Before X" by Ilyasah Shabazz and Renée Watson
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
