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.

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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

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Madison Avenue Cultural  

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

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“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

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