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

Media organisations around the world reported on the case, his face was on a billboard in Times Square and then-US President Joe Biden said he had "no higher priority" than bringing Gershkovich home.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

An Indiana group is now pitching that idea directly to Illinois drivers via a roadside billboard near the state border.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026

In Manila, her face is plastered across a billboard on Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, the city’s longest stretch of highway.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026

He drove over to West Hollywood Friday morning because he saw a story on the news about the man inside the billboard.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

When he smiled, which was constantly, his whole face lit up like a billboard.

From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell

Related Words

• advertisement
• placard
• poster
• signboard