advertisement
Americannoun
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advertisements
plural
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a paid announcement, as of goods for sale, in newspapers or magazines, on radio or television, or on the internet.
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a public notice, especially in print.
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the action of making generally known; a calling to the attention of the public.
The news of this event will receive wide advertisement.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of advertisement
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Middle French avertissement; see origin at advertise, -ment
Explanation
A public notice promoting the sale of a certain item is called an advertisement. The word is often shortened to ad. They're on TV, on the radio, online, in the paper — you can't even escape advertisements at the movies. Although advertisements are usually meant to persuade, they aren't always just for selling goods. They're a great way to get the word out on just about anything. You can place an advertisement for all kinds of things: to look for your long-lost sister, to hire an employee, or to announce a local dance. Even way back in the 1600s, the British were posting advertisements for trips to a newfound place called "Virginia."
Vocabulary lists containing advertisement
Media Literacy - High School
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Media Literacy - Middle School
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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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.
See Examples For:
Others objected to a scene in the advertisement in which the actor also ties a rakhi on her pet dog.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
In 2023, representatives on the House Transportation Committee proposed a bill that would have allowed airlines to prioritize advertisement of the base fare.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Discount brokers don’t like to talk about how many customers defy the odds, but Peterffy’s firm provided an intriguing clue via an advertisement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Paramount reportedly refused to air an advertisement from the Freedom of the Press Foundation critical of its leadership and merger, citing a “conflict of interest.”
From Salon ● Jun. 21, 2026
When he returned to the barn, he carried in his mouth an advertisement he had torn from a crumpled magazine.
From "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White
Some American cities and states have appealed for Canadians to return through targeted advertisements and special deals.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
They have a lot of people on staff who are in the fundraising business, send out mail, and now they do TV advertisements and all sorts of things to raise money.
From Slate ● Aug. 22, 2026
Some of the advertisements may have targeted minors, Menin wrote.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Hiddleston notes that “one great gift of Pompeii is that the Romans didn’t have paper, so the walls, the columns, the houses, the public buildings are covered in writing: deeds, business contracts, advertisements, gossip, doodles.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
I thought it was one of those advertisements for painting your house or cleaning your carpets.
From "Walk Two Moons" by Sharon Creech
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.
