billboard

¹ American  

[bil-bawrd, -bohrd] / ˈbɪlˌbɔrd, -ˌboʊrd /

noun

1. a flat surface or board, usually outdoors, on which large advertisements or notices are posted.

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verb (used with object)

1. to place, advertise, proclaim, etc., on or as if on a billboard.

   The movie was billboarded as the year's biggest hit.

billboard ² American  

[bil-bawrd, -bohrd] / ˈbɪlˌbɔrd, -ˌboʊrd /

noun

Nautical.

1. anchor bed.

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billboard ¹ British  

/ ˈbɪlˌbɔːd /

noun

1. another name for hoarding

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billboard ² British  

/ ˈbɪlˌbɔːd /

noun

1. a fitting at the bow of a vessel for securing an anchor

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Etymology

Origin of billboard¹

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55; bill ¹ + board

Origin of billboard²

First recorded in 1855–60; bill ³ + board

Explanation

A billboard is a giant roadside sign. You might pass several billboards on the highway advertising a car dealership, a restaurant, or anything else someone paid to have on a billboard big enough to be seen by passing cars. When a company decides how to advertise, it may buy Internet ads, TV commercials, newspaper spreads, or billboard advertisements. A billboard is a good way for a business to catch people's attention, because it’s so big and a commuter may drive or walk past it five times a week. The word billboard first appeared in American English in the 1840s, meaning the board or wall where posters or handbills could be pasted. Billboard is also the name of a music magazine.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

billboard

These claims are a magnet for billboard lawyers and fraudsters seeking to profit off the system, which is why these claims are investigated thoroughly.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

When a 65-foot hot dog sculpture returned to Times Square dressed only with mustard, Heinz and agency Rethink installed a billboard behind it appearing to pour the ketchup.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

A man who has not been publicly identified has been “living” inside the billboard since Thursday, in what resembles a fully furnished, air-conditioned living room.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

“I want to be able to get higher so I can see him,” he said while craning his neck to get a peek at the billboard.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

I even paint Bob so he can be on the billboard too.

From "The One and Only Ivan" by Katherine Applegate

Related Words

• advertisement
• placard
• poster
• signboard