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

Furner has said he aims to keep Walmart’s years of sales growth humming with ever-faster online delivery, wider online selection and continuous store and supply-chain improvements, along with new revenue streams such as advertising.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

“The Late Show” franchise, which Colbert inherited in 2015 from David Letterman, was the top-ranked late-night show, but it faced challenges due to dramatic declines in viewership and a drop in advertising revenue.

From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026

Tesla has helped SpaceX with purchasing, buying advertising on X. “We plan to explore other areas of strategic collaboration with Tesla in the future,” reads part of the prospectus.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

She had featured in a number of advertising campaigns and acted in a Telugu-language film.

From BBC • May 21, 2026

They had been advertising for months—discreetly, Madeline added—for a surrogate with the right characteristics, and had found no one.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng