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

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

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

"Because they were taken alive, we want them back alive," one banner slogan read.

From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026

Growth was led by a 6.2% jump in comparable sales across its LongHorn Steakhouse brand, while same-restaurant sales across its Olive Garden banner ticked up 1.1%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

It’s been a banner year for the singer who made her Stagecoach Festival debut in April.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

They are $125, and the website features a thoughtful banner image of Huberman looking at a phone while wearing them.

From Slate ● Sep. 18, 2026

A red and white banner with the school’s motto, “Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve,” hung from the ceiling.

From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez

But when it recently showed up on campus banners, Billy Ramirez, a Hispanic biology major, had been replaced by a black woman.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

Commercial logos, banners and tent-like structures are also prohibited.

From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026

The only two championship banners displayed at the stadium are for their two Super Bowl wins.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2026

He told the meeting there had been small print on station banners that stated the value claim was compared to equivalent TfW tickets – but the system only measured against a full adult fare.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

Over the course of several days, more than two hundred banners were destroyed.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

Related Words

• emblem
• headline
• pennant
• streamer