poster child
Americannoun
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a child appearing on a poster for a charitable organization.
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a person or thing that exemplifies or represents.
She could be a poster child for good sportsmanship.
Etymology
Origin of poster child
First recorded in 1990–95
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.
A similar saga played out with Red Dye No. 3, which Benesh describes as “the poster child of federal government inaction.”
From Salon • Apr. 11, 2026
“Cliffwater is the poster child for success in semiliquid funds,” says Brian Moriarty, a senior researcher at Morningstar, referencing the type of fund that allows investors to cash out slowly over time.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
Chad Baker-Mazara is the poster child for 2026 college athletics.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 7, 2026
Mizuho trading-desk analyst Jordan Klein wrote that Monday “has been a poster child for the AI-killing-software narrative.”
From MarketWatch • Feb. 9, 2026
“Who said I wanna be the poster child for this?”
From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
