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Synonyms

poster

1 American  
[poh-ster] / ˈpoʊ stər /

noun

  1. a placard or bill posted or intended for posting in a public place, as for advertising.

  2. a large print of a painting, photograph, etc., used to decorate a wall.

    posters of street scenes.

  3. a person who posts bills, placards, etc.

  4. Digital Technology. a person who posts or submits an online message to a message board.

    The previous poster in this thread was off-topic.
poster 2 American  
[poh-ster] / ˈpoʊ stər /

noun

  1. post horse.

  2. Archaic. a person who travels rapidly.

poster British  
/ ˈpəʊstə /

noun

  1. a large printed picture, used for decoration

  2. a placard or bill posted in a public place as an advertisement

"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

Etymology

Origin of poster1

First recorded in 1830–40; post 1 + -er 1

Origin of poster2

First recorded in 1595–1605; post 3 + -er 1

Vocabulary lists containing poster

Lesson 6

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Additional Literary Terms, Unit 1

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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.

What happens when the first student asks a question about that large poster on the wall?

From Slate • Apr. 23, 2026

For five decades, the Ecuadorian siblings have created signs for stores using poster board and markers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

Thema's Instagram post also contained a celebration of life poster, with a short tribute, accompanied by a smiling photograph of Shange.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026

A few years back, I stopped into my favorite vintage poster shop to splurge on a 1987 one-sheet for “Fatal Attraction,” designed by Polish artist Maciej Kalkus.

From Salon • Apr. 17, 2026

Mrs. Smith held a yellow poster high above her head.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja 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.