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marketing

American  
[mahr-ki-ting] / ˈmɑr kɪ tɪŋ /

noun

  1. the act of buying or selling in a market.

  2. the total of activities involved in the transfer of goods from the producer or seller to the consumer or buyer, including advertising, shipping, storing, and selling.


marketing British  
/ ˈmɑːkɪtɪŋ /

noun

  1. the provision of goods or services to meet customer or consumer needs

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of marketing

First recorded in 1555–65; market + -ing 1

Explanation

Marketing is how you go about promoting and selling a product. Any ad campaign is a type of marketing. Marketing has to do with making people aware of what you have to offer, whether it's updated software, a clearance sale, or ice-cold lemonade. If a commercial really makes you want to buy something, the marketing worked. Politicians use marketing in their campaigns to convince voters. Marketing is all about selling — and given how many ads there are everywhere you look, it’s probably one of the most powerful forces in the world.

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Vocabulary lists containing marketing

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.

Once you start diving into the history and psychology of fragrances, she says “you begin to question what you actually like versus what marketing people are telling you to enjoy.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026

In a statement published on Tuesday, he pledged to "thoroughly investigate" the approval procedures behind the event and "re-examine the review process" for marketing content across all its affiliates.

From BBC • May 19, 2026

However, revenue from what Baidu terms its “core AI-powered business”—including cloud infrastructure, AI applications, and AI-native marketing services—rose 49% to CNY13.6 billion.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

Wilson’s picks for Lululemon’s board are Marc Maurer, former co-CEO of running-shoe maker On Holding, Laura Gentile, former chief marketing officer at ESPN, and Eric Hirshberg, the former CEO of Activision Blizzard’s Activision segment.

From MarketWatch • May 18, 2026

She had to bring Clara with her on marketing days, but though her stepsister now controlled the purse, she did little else to restrict her.

From "Ash" by Malinda Lo

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