billboard
1 Americannoun
verb (used with object)
noun
noun
noun
Etymology
Origin of billboard1
An Americanism dating back to 1850–55; bill 1 + board
Origin of billboard2
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The late-June Hollywood Reporter headline that reads, “Louis C.K., Stephen A. Smith to Honor Bill Maher at Kennedy Center Event” isn’t merely a sign of our times; it’s a billboard.
From Salon • Jul. 3, 2026
She added just before Morgan took over, Maddy became a poster girl for the club, as the Blades erected a "massive" billboard of her, which "she loved".
From BBC • Jul. 2, 2026
That brought us out from the out-of-home billboard space into real life—events and experiences.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 16, 2026
The Broad’s latest Yoko Ono exhibition features iconic works from the artist alongside a timely citywide billboard campaign promoting peace.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
Then he broke open a billboard grin and called out, “Hey, everybody! ’
From "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.