Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

Madison Avenue

American  

noun

  1. a street in New York City that is a center of the advertising and public relations industries and that has become a symbol of their attitudes, methods, and practices.


Madison Avenue British  

noun

  1. a street in New York City: a centre of American advertising and public-relations firms and a symbol of their attitudes and methods

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Madison Avenue Cultural  
  1. A street in Manhattan on which many advertising and public relations firms have offices.


Discover More

“Madison Avenue hype” carries the connotation of misrepresentation or deliberate dishonesty.

The name of the street is often used to refer to the high-pressure techniques of the advertising business.

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.

Some managing directors, the highest rank for a nonexecutive, now share small offices, a downgrade from their previous digs on Madison Avenue.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 18, 2026

The majestic sandstone villa on Madison Avenue that the company shared with the Archdiocese of New York, and the quaint house in its logo, conveyed a sense of noncorporate charm.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

In May, his firm agreed to pay $1.1 billion for an officer tower on Madison Avenue.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025

The account is a plum assignment on Madison Avenue, given the size of its budget—the consumer product maker spent $1.6 billion on advertising in 2024, according to its annual report.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 28, 2025

Outside, as Zannikos walked slowly down Madison Avenue, a self-made man comfortable with his own hard-won success, the bulkhead doors in front of 3 Guys clanked open.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times