banner

banner — noun

1. a wide strip of fabric or paper with writing or pictures on it that people hold

1.nounB2
Definition

a wide strip of fabric or paper with writing or pictures on it that people hold up at a march, hang above a street, or stretch across a wall to share a message.

Example

The students painted a huge banner that said 'Save Our Library' and held it above their heads.

verb collocation: paint / make a banner

Two volunteers stretched a long banner between the lamp posts at the entrance to the village fair.

pattern: stretch a banner between [two points]

Common collocations
  • paint a banner
  • carry a banner
  • hang a banner
  • wave a banner
  • unfurl a banner
  • stretch a banner between
Synonyms
  • placard

    a stiff sign on a stick, usually held by one person

  • sign

    more general; any surface with writing, not always cloth

  • streamer

    a long narrow strip, usually decorative rather than carrying a message

Usage Note

Object of verbs like hang, carry, wave, hold, unfurl, paint, stretch. Often described by its message or colour rather than its material.

Common Mistakes

A banner is a small flag on a desk.
A banner is a long piece of cloth or paper with a message.
banners are wide and long, not small desk flags.

2. a flag, often square or rectangular, that shows the symbol or coat of arms of a

2.nounC1
Definition

a flag, often square or rectangular, that shows the symbol or coat of arms of a king, an army, or some other group, especially in older or ceremonial settings.

Example

The knight rode into the courtyard beneath the king's red banner with a golden lion on it.

collocation: under / beneath a banner

Soldiers marched into battle behind the banner of their lord, raised high on a long pole.

pattern: behind the banner of [leader]

Common collocations
  • under the banner of
  • the royal banner
  • a regimental banner
  • raise a banner
Synonyms
  • standard

    a flag carried by an army or leader; close to this sense

  • ensign

    formal; especially a flag on a ship that shows the country

  • flag

    more general everyday word for any cloth emblem

Usage Note

Largely historical or ceremonial. Distinguish from sense 1 (a banner made for a single event or message); a banner here is a permanent emblem of a group or leader, like a coat of arms in cloth form.

Common Mistakes

They printed a paper banner of the football club for the parade.
They printed a paper sign of the football club for the parade.
for a one-off paper sign, use sign or placard, not banner in this formal sense.

3. a long rectangular advertisement or title strip placed at the top, side, or bott

3.nounB2
Definition

a long rectangular advertisement or title strip placed at the top, side, or bottom edge inside a website or app, usually with an image, a short message, and a clickable link.

Example

A bright pink banner at the top of the page advertised 50% off winter coats until Sunday.

collocation: a banner at the top / bottom of a page

Citlali clicked on a travel banner and was taken straight to a booking site for cheap flights to Osaka.

verb pattern: click on a banner

Common collocations
  • banner ad
  • click on a banner
  • display a banner
  • homepage banner
  • top banner
Synonyms
  • banner ad

    the same thing; the longer, more explicit term

  • ad

    broader; covers any kind of advertisement, not just the strip format

Usage Note

Often paired with descriptors that name where it sits or what it does: a top banner, a side banner, a banner ad. The phrase banner ad is interchangeable with banner in this sense.

Common Mistakes

I saw a small icon banner on my phone.
I saw a small notification on my phone.
small phone alerts are notifications; a banner is the wide rectangular ad strip on a web page or app.

4. an idea, slogan, or aim that people fight for or work in the name of, used as if

4.nounC1
Definition

an idea, slogan, or aim that people fight for or work in the name of, used as if it were a flag they were rallying around.

Example

The new mayor took up the banner of cleaner air and promised to close the old coal plant.

collocation: take up / raise the banner of [cause]

Many young writers gathered around the banner of free speech during the trial in Buenos Aires.

pattern: around / behind the banner of [idea]

Common collocations
  • under the banner of
  • take up the banner of
  • rally around the banner of
Synonyms
  • cause

    a goal that people fight for; less metaphorical

  • rallying cry

    a slogan that calls people to act, often spoken or shouted

  • standard

    formal and historical; close to banner in this metaphorical use

Usage Note

Often appears in the fixed phrases under the banner of, the banner of, take up the banner. Distinguish from sense 1 by context: no physical cloth is involved here, only an abstract cause.

Common Mistakes

She raised the banner of equality high above her head.
She took up the banner of equality and led the campaign.
when the banner is an abstract cause, do not describe it with physical actions like 'high above her head'.
Idioms

under the banner (of something)

idiom

Used to describe acting in support of a particular idea or group.

The students protested under the banner of climate justice.

Did the soldiers enter the region under the banner of peacekeeping?

banner — verb

banner — adjective

Word family

  • bannered
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words name a surface that carries a message, but they differ in shape, stiffness, and use. A banner is a long strip of cloth or paper, often stretched between two poles or hung high so that many people can see it from a distance, typical at marches, festivals, and stadiums. A placard is small, stiff, and held by one person on a stick, common in protests where each marcher carries their own slogan. A sign is the most general word: it can be plastic, wood, or metal, fixed in one place, like a shop sign or a road sign. A poster is flat paper, designed to be glued or pinned to a wall, advertising a film, concert, or campaign. A streamer is a long thin strip, usually decorative paper or ribbon, used at parties or parades rather than carrying a written message. So a march might use banners and placards together, while a birthday party uses streamers and posters.

banner ↗placardsign ↗poster ↗streamer

Common collocations

Nouns

  • banner ad
  • banner headline
  • banner year
  • banner day
  • protest banner
  • advertising banner

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

GermanicLate LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishModern English

Banner came into English in the 1200s from Old French baniere, meaning a flag carried by knights or armies, which itself goes back to a Late Latin word bandum, 'a standard or flag', borrowed from a Germanic source related to band, the idea of a strip of cloth tied to a pole. The military and ceremonial 'flag' meaning came first in English; from there the word stretched naturally to any long piece of cloth with a message on it, then in the late twentieth century to digital banner ads on web pages, and as a metaphor to a cause that people rally around.