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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.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

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.

Speaking to the BBC, she said the outfit was designed to promote her bread-baking business and insisted the appearance was intentional marketing rather than shock value.

From BBC • May 10, 2026

Rose said that once WPP returns to organic revenue growth, which she expects in 2027, it will allocate more funds to dealmaking and bolster such areas as commerce and social-influencer marketing.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

Also, he noticed, the marketing he saw generally “paid only the visual equivalent of lip service to diversity,” with some exceptions.

From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026

And it uses more small airports, which offer low fees and marketing support to lure traffic, and can turn planes around quickly.

From Barron's • May 8, 2026

“Ha! You believe that? That’s just the clever spin Mr. Lemoncello’s marketing department put on this scam.”

From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein