slogan

slogan — noun

1. A slogan is a short, catchy group of words that a company, political party, or o

1.nounB1
Definition

A slogan is a short, catchy group of words that a company, political party, or other organization uses publicly to communicate a key message or to promote something such as a product, idea, or event.

Example

The marketing team created a catchy slogan for the new smartphone campaign.

collocation: catchy slogan

Yasmin remembered the political slogan from her childhood because it was short and simple.

modifier: political slogan

Common collocations
  • catchy slogan
  • advertising slogan
  • political slogan
  • campaign slogan
  • company slogan
  • slogan for
  • slogan of
  • come up with a slogan
  • create a slogan
Synonyms
  • motto

    A motto expresses a guiding principle or belief (e.g., a school's motto), whereas a slogan is used to promote or persuade.

  • catchphrase

    A catchphrase is associated with a specific person or character rather than an organization or campaign.

  • tagline

    A tagline is typically tied to a brand or entertainment product, such as a movie, rather than a promotional campaign.

Grammar Patterns

slogan + for + noun phrase

slogan + of + noun phrase

Usage Note

Commonly used with modifiers that identify the context — advertising slogan, political slogan, campaign slogan, company slogan. The word is a countable noun, so it takes an article (a slogan / the slogan) and has a plural form (slogans).

Common Mistakes

I can't remember the slogan words.
I can't remember the slogan.
A slogan is already a phrase; adding 'words' is redundant.

Word family

  • sloganeer
    nounC1
  • sloganeering
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Although slogan, motto, catchphrase, and tagline all refer to short memorable phrases, they differ in purpose and context. A slogan is used by companies or political groups to promote a product or idea — for example, Nike's 'Just Do It.' A motto expresses a guiding principle or belief, often belonging to an institution: 'Be Prepared' is the motto of the Scout movement. A catchphrase is a popular saying tied to a specific person, character, or show — such as Homer Simpson's 'D'oh!' A tagline is a short phrase that sums up a brand or entertainment product, like the movie tagline 'In space no one can hear you scream.' Choosing the wrong word can confuse the source of the phrase, so it helps to ask: Who says it, and why?

slogan ↗motto ↗catchphrasetagline

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • come up with a slogan
  • create a slogan
  • use a slogan
  • adopt a slogan

Prepositions

Etymology

Scottish GaelicEnglish

The word slogan comes from Scottish Gaelic 'sluagh-ghairm', meaning 'battle cry' — a combination of 'sluagh' (army, host) and 'gairm' (cry, shout). It entered English in the 16th century as a Scottish clan's war cry, then broadened to mean any political rallying cry by the 18th century. By the 20th century, it had taken on its modern meaning: a catchy phrase used in advertising and public promotion.