banner

American  

[ban-er] / ˈbæn ər /

noun

• banners
  plural

1. the flag of a country, army, troop, etc.

2. an ensign or the like bearing some device, motto, or slogan, as one carried in religious processions, political demonstrations, etc.

3. a flag formerly used as the standard of a sovereign, lord, or knight.

4. a sign painted on cloth and hung over a street, entrance, etc..

   Banners at the intersection announced the tennis tournament.

5. anything regarded or displayed as a symbol of principles.

6. Heraldry. a square flag bearing heraldic devices.

7. Also called line, screamer, streamer, banner line. Journalism. a headline extending across the width of a newspaper page, usually across the top of the front page.

8. an open streamer with lettering, towed behind an airplane in flight, for advertising purposes.

9. Also called banner ad. an advertisement that appears across the top or bottom or along one side of a web page.

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adjective

1. leading or foremost.

   a banner year for crops.

   Synonyms:

   vintage, red-letter, winning, record, notable

banner British  

/ ˈbænə /

noun

1. a long strip of flexible material displaying a slogan, advertisement, etc, esp one suspended between two points

2. a placard or sign carried in a procession or demonstration

3. something that represents a belief or principle

   a commitment to nationalization was the banner of British socialism

4. the flag of a nation, army, etc, used as a standard or ensign

5. (formerly) the standard of an emperor, knight, etc

6. Also called: banner headline. a large headline in a newspaper, etc, extending across the page, esp the front page

7. an advertisement, often animated, that extends across the width of a web page

8. a square flag, often charged with the arms of its bearer

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verb

1. (tr) (of a newspaper headline) to display (a story) prominently

adjective

1. outstandingly successful

   a banner year for orders

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• bannered
  adjective
• bannerless
  adjective
• bannerlike
  adjective
• unbannered
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• banners
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of banner

1200–50; Middle English banere < Old French baniere < Late Latin bann ( um ) (variant of bandum standard < Germanic, compare Gothic bandwa sign; see band ¹) + Old French -iere < Latin -āria -ary

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Explanation

As you listen to your guests sing to you on your birthday, you may see a long banner, or sign, hanging from the ceiling and announcing in sparkly letters, "Happy Birthday to You!" The noun banner often refers to a long sign that is announcing or advertising something. A banner might declare "Congratulations!" "Free Hot Dogs Here!" or, at a protest, "We're Not Going to Take It Anymore!" Banners have also gone virtual; it's hard to avoid seeing at least one annoying advertising banner across the top of any highly-trafficked website. A banner can also be a flag, as in "The Star Spangled Banner," or a championship banner hanging in a school gym.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

banner banners

But in one way at least, it was a banner day for the team—and it had little to do with how they played.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026

Behind the poet, a banner reads: “Everyone deserves a poem.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026

The strategy, particularly at Chevron and BP, is to use these banner profits to reduce debt, as opposed to increasing capital expenditure or returning a greater proportion of profits through dividends and buybacks.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026

"In short, he speaks straight. We really love him," 23-year-old Or Nahman told AFP in Jerusalem's bustling Mahane Yehuda market, where a huge banner bearing Ben Gvir's face hangs over shop stalls.

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026

Mr. Stoker has a banner that wraps around all 4 walls with the value of pi to the 280th place.

From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty

The 'hated, adored, never ignored' mantra regularly appears on banners at Old Trafford, while the club even released a clothing range that adorned the slogan.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

"No violence", "Transparency" and "Democracy in danger" read some of the banners carried by high-school teachers and university professors.

From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2026

Bright red banners nearby celebrate last year’s 70th anniversary of China making Xinjiang an official “autonomous region.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

The walls and ceiling of the Black Sheep Sports Bar, where the Manhattan Young Democrats are hosting their fourth social of the year, are still covered in World Cup banners and flags.

From Slate ● Oct. 20, 2026

On Monday the whole school is decorated with banners and bunting and pom-poms.

From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein

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Related Words

• emblem
• headline
• pennant
• streamer

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