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

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

The company will support the new commercials with digital, social media and billboard advertising in cities around the U.S., including places that don’t yet permit its driverless cars in their streets.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

The PGA Tour’s app is more of a billboard than anything else.

From Slate • Jun. 10, 2026

The billboard shows a large picture of a pretty young woman with wild, messy hair and tears streaming down her cheeks.

From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung

Related Words

• advertisement
• placard
• poster
• signboard