Meanings
verbadvertise (third-person singular simple present advertises, present participle advertising, simple past and past participle advertised)
present singular third person advertises · participle present advertising · participle past advertised · past advertised · alternative US proscribed sometimes advertize
- transitiveTo give (especially public) notice of (something); to announce publicly.First known use 15th c.
Synonyms: make known, announce, proclaim, promulgate, bill
- intransitiveTo provide information about a person or goods and services to influence others.First known use 18th c.
For personal needs, advertise on the internet or in a local newspaper.
- archaictransitiveTo notify (someone) of something; to call someone's attention to something.First known use 15th c.
Socrates being advertiſed, that the God of wiſdome, had attributed the name of wiſe vnto him, was thereat much aſtoniſhed, and diligently ſearching and rouzing vp himſelf, and ranſaking the very ſecrets of his heart, found no foundation or ground for his divine ſentence.
1603, Michel de Montaigne, “An Apologie of Raymond Sebond”, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC, page 2882 more examples
[T]he Queene [Isabella of France], vvhen ſhee vvas […] aduertiſed of her huſbands dethronization, ſhee outvvardly expreſſed ſo great extremity of paſſion (notvvithſtanding that at the ſame time ſhee vvas tolde of her ſonnes [Edward III of England's] ſurrogation) as if ſhee had beene diſtraught in her vvittes: […]
1611, Iohn Speed [i.e., John Speed], “Edward the Second, […]”, in The History of Great Britaine under the Conquests of yͤ Romans, Saxons, Danes and Normans. […], London: […] William Hall and John Beale, for John Sudbury and George Humble, […], →OCLC, book IX ([Englands Monarchs] […]), paragraph 76, page 564, column 1[…] I am daily advertiſed by ſeveral friends and correſpondents from Oxford, that I have omitted many particulars, which it is proper to animadvert upon, in order to compleat the Secret Hiſtory of that place; and I have therefore, in compliance with their requeſt, reſolved to reſume this work, and continue to publiſh ſome part of it every Act-Term, till the whole is finiſhed, and the ſubject fully exhauſted: […]
1726, Terræ Filius [pseudonym; Nicholas Amherst], “[The Dedication]”, in Terræ-Filius: Or, the Secret History of the University of Oxford; in Several Essays. To which are Added, Remarks upon a Late Book, Entitled, University Education, by R. Newton, D.D. Principal of Hart-Hall. In Two Volumes, 2nd edition, volume I, London: Printed for R. Francklin, under Tom's Coffee-House, in Russel-Street, Covent-Garden, →OCLC, page xi - card gamesIn gin rummy, to discard a card of one's preferred suit so as to mislead the opponent into thinking you do not want it.
The safest time to answer a possible advertisement is when you have no indication as to what suit your opponent wants. Then even if he has advertised, the odds are that your answer is not the card he is looking for.
1947, On Gin Rummy: An All-American Roundup, page 121
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo give (especially public) notice of (something); to announce publicly.
verbTo provide public information about (a product, service etc.) in order to attract public awareness and increase sales.
give public notice; uncommon use
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
verbmake publicity for; try to sell (a product)
Broader
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Frenchadvertir
- Anglo-Normanadvertir“to inform”
- Middle Englishadvertisen
- Englishadvertise
From Middle English advertisen, from Anglo-Norman advertir (“to inform”), avertir, Middle French advertir, avertir (“to warn, give notice to”), with the French -iss- infix assimilated to -ise, -ize and probably influenced by the noun advertisement. Compare also advert.
More words from Middle English, Anglo-Norman, Middle French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek διαφημίζω, διαφημίζω
- διαφημίζω (diaphēmízō)(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
- διαφημίζω (diaphēmízō)(transitive) to provide public information about (a product, services etc.)
Bulgarian обявявам, информирам
- обявявам (objavjavam)(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
- информирам (informiram)(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
- рекламирам (reklamiram)(intransitive) to provide information about a person or goods and services to influence others
- рекламирам (reklamiram)(transitive) to provide public information about (a product, services etc.)
Chinese Cantonese 賣廣告 /卖广告
- 賣廣告 /卖广告 (mai⁶ gwong² gou³)(intransitive) to provide information about a person or goods and services to influence others
Chinese Mandarin 賣廣告 /卖广告, 宣傳 /宣传
- 賣廣告 /卖广告 (maiguǎnggào)(intransitive) to provide information about a person or goods and services to influence others
- 宣傳 /宣传 (xuānchuán)(transitive) to provide public information about (a product, services etc.)
Danish reklamere, annoncere
- reklamere(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
- annoncere(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
- reklamere(intransitive) to provide information about a person or goods and services to influence others
- annoncere(intransitive) to provide information about a person or goods and services to influence others
- reklamere(transitive) to provide public information about (a product, services etc.)
- annoncere(transitive) to provide public information about (a product, services etc.)
Dutch adverteren
- adverteren(intransitive) to provide information about a person or goods and services to influence others
Esperanto reklami
- reklami(intransitive) to provide information about a person or goods and services to influence others
Finnish julistaa, ilmoittaa
- julistaa(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
- ilmoittaa(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
- kuuluttaa(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
- mainostaa(intransitive) to provide information about a person or goods and services to influence others
- mainostaa(transitive) to provide public information about (a product, services etc.)
French annoncer, afficher
- annoncer(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
- afficher(intransitive) to provide information about a person or goods and services to influence others
- publier(intransitive) to provide information about a person or goods and services to influence others
German ankündigen, annoncieren
- ankündigen(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
- annoncieren(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
- inserieren(intransitive) to provide information about a person or goods and services to influence others
- werben(intransitive) to provide information about a person or goods and services to influence others
- anbieten(transitive) to provide public information about (a product, services etc.)
- anpreisen(transitive) to provide public information about (a product, services etc.)
Greek διαφημίζω, διαφημίζω
- διαφημίζω (diafimízo)(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
- διαφημίζω (diafimízo)(intransitive) to provide information about a person or goods and services to influence others
- διαφημίζω (diafimízo)(transitive) to provide public information about (a product, services etc.)
Hebrew פרסם, פרסם
- פרסם (pirsém)(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
- פרסם (pirsém)(intransitive) to provide information about a person or goods and services to influence others
- פרסם (pirsém)(transitive) to provide public information about (a product, services etc.)
Hungarian hirdet, reklámoz
- hirdet(transitive) to provide public information about (a product, services etc.)
- reklámoz(transitive) to provide public information about (a product, services etc.)
Indonesian mengiklankan
- mengiklankan(intransitive) to provide information about a person or goods and services to influence others
Italian annunciare, promuovere
- annunciare(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
- promuovere(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
- divulgare(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
- pubblicizzare(intransitive) to provide information about a person or goods and services to influence others
- pubblicizzare(transitive) to provide public information about (a product, services etc.)
Japanese 広告する, 宣伝する
- 広告する (kōkoku suru)(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
- 宣伝する (senden suru)(intransitive) to provide information about a person or goods and services to influence others
Latin venditō, venditō
- venditō(intransitive) to provide information about a person or goods and services to influence others
- venditō(transitive) to provide public information about (a product, services etc.)
Lithuanian skelbti, reklamuoti
- skelbti(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
- reklamuoti(intransitive) to provide information about a person or goods and services to influence others
- publikuoti(transitive) to provide public information about (a product, services etc.)
Malay mengiklankan, iklankan
- mengiklankan(intransitive) to provide information about a person or goods and services to influence others
- iklankan(transitive) to provide public information about (a product, services etc.)
Māori pānui, whakatairanga
- pānui(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
- whakatairanga(transitive) to provide public information about (a product, services etc.)
Polish ogłaszać, ogłosić
- ogłaszać(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
- ogłosić(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
- ogłaszać się(intransitive) to provide information about a person or goods and services to influence others
- reklamować(transitive) to provide public information about (a product, services etc.)
Portuguese anunciar, promulgar
- anunciar(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
- promulgar(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
- divulgar(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
- publicar(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
- anunciar(intransitive) to provide information about a person or goods and services to influence others
- publicitar(intransitive) to provide information about a person or goods and services to influence others
- anunciar(transitive) to provide public information about (a product, services etc.)
- publicitar(transitive) to provide public information about (a product, services etc.)
Russian объявля́ть, информи́рова́ть
- объявля́ть (obʺjavljátʹ)(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
- информи́рова́ть (informírovátʹ)(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
- извеща́ть (izveščátʹ)(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
- реклами́ровать (reklamírovatʹ)(intransitive) to provide information about a person or goods and services to influence others
- реклами́ровать (reklamírovatʹ)(transitive) to provide public information about (a product, services etc.)
- публикова́ть (publikovátʹ)(transitive) to provide public information about (a product, services etc.)
Spanish anunciar, publicitar
- anunciar(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
- publicitar(transitive) to provide public information about (a product, services etc.)
Swedish tillkännage, göra reklam
- tillkännage(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
- göra reklam(intransitive) to provide information about a person or goods and services to influence others
- annonsera(transitive) to provide public information about (a product, services etc.)
Turkish duyurmak, reklâm yapmak
- duyurmak(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
- reklâm yapmak(intransitive) to provide information about a person or goods and services to influence others
- tanıtım yapmak(transitive) to provide public information about (a product, services etc.)
Ukrainian рекламува́ти, рекламува́ти
- рекламува́ти (reklamuváty)(intransitive) to provide information about a person or goods and services to influence others
- рекламува́ти (reklamuváty)(transitive) to provide public information about (a product, services etc.)
- реклямува́ти (rekljamuváty)(transitive) to provide public information about (a product, services etc.)
Welsh hysbysu, hysbysebu
- hysbysu(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
- hysbysebu(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
Yiddish רעקלאַמירן, מעלדן
- רעקלאַמירן (reklamirn)(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
- מעלדן (meldn)(transitive) to give public notice of; to announce publicly
Cite this entry
APA
advertise. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/advertise
MLA
“advertise.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/advertise. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “advertise,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/advertise.
Source: advertise on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.