advertising

advertising — noun

1. work that creates and places messages so the public notices a product, service,

1.nounB2
Definition

work that creates and places messages so the public notices a product, service, or company and wants to choose it.

Example

Good advertising helped the small bakery sell out by noon.

advertising + business result

Online advertising now brings most visitors to Ken's bike repair shop.

collocation: online advertising

Common collocations
  • online advertising
  • television advertising
  • outdoor advertising
  • advertising budget
Synonyms
  • marketing

    broader than advertising; it also includes pricing, sales plans, and how goods reach buyers

  • promotion

    often refers to a specific push or campaign rather than the whole industry

  • publicity

    focuses on public attention and is often unpaid or media-driven

Grammar Patterns

work in advertising

spend money on advertising

Usage Note

Usually uncountable when it means the activity or industry. For one single notice, poster, or commercial, use advertisement, advert, or ad instead.

Common Mistakes

I saw an advertising for the new phone.
I saw an advertisement for the new phone.
advertising usually names the activity or business, not one single ad.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

At sense noun/1, advertising means the organized work of making and placing ads so people notice something and may buy it. Marketing is broader: it includes advertising, but also pricing, product planning, and sales strategy. Promotion often points to a shorter push, such as a holiday campaign or store event, rather than the whole field. Publicity is about getting public attention, often through news coverage or public interest, and it may happen without paying for ad space. A company can spend more on advertising, plan its marketing for next year, run a summer promotion, and hope for free publicity after a product launch.

advertising ↗marketing ↗promotion ↗publicity ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • advertising campaign
  • advertising agency
  • advertising budget
  • advertising industry

Phrases

  • work in advertising
  • spend money on advertising

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Advertising comes from advertise, which entered English through French from a Latin verb meaning "turn toward" or "draw attention to." Earlier related forms were closer to "inform" or "notify." As newspapers, posters, radio, and later online media grew, advertising came to mean the organized work of bringing products and services before the public.