bulletin board

American  

[bool-i-tn bawrd, -tin] / ˈbʊl ɪ tn ˌbɔrd, -tɪn /

noun

bulletin boards plural

1. a board for the posting of bulletins, notices, announcements, etc.

2. Also called bulletin board system.  Digital Technology. BBS

   1. an online collection of electronic messages, posted by and accessible to any authorized user.

   2. a system, facility, or computer server for collecting and relaying these messages.

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bulletin board British  

noun

1. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): notice board.  a board on which notices, advertisements, bulletins, etc, are displayed

2. computing a facility on a computer network allowing any user to leave messages that can be read by any other user, and to download software and information to the user's own computer

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bulletin board Scientific  

/ bl′ĭ-tn /

1. An electronic communication system that allows users to send or read electronic messages, files, and other data that are of general interest and addressed to no particular person. Bulletin boards were widely used before the Internet became popular, and many of their functions are now served by websites and newsgroups for specific topics or groups.

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bulletin board Idioms  

1. Also, electronic bulletin board. A computer service that provides facilities for people to leave messages by phone or telecomputing. For example, The National Writers Union has a bulletin board through which members communicate via their modems. Both the device and the term, alluding to the older board for posting notices, date from the late 1970s.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• bulletin boards
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bulletin board

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35

Example Sentences

However, online bulletin board Pinterest saw fit late last year to begin allowing users to filter out some AI-generated content.

From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026

They did so by using online bulletin board systems, or BBSes, a precursor to the internet.

From Salon • Dec. 8, 2025

They certainly didn’t want to provide opponents with bulletin board fodder during their attempt to bring a Super Bowl championship to their home city after the 1985 season.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 25, 2025

A photo of his storied office bulletin board on which moveable, color-coded index cards of show sketches are easily re-arranged offers a glimpse of how this works.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 3, 2025

They found a table by the bulletin board and a bearded librarian shelving books.

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn