Search

to announce or praise (a product, service, etc.) in some public medium of communication in order to induce people to buy or use it:
to advertise a new brand of toothpaste.
to give information to the public about; announce publicly in a newspaper, on radio or television, etc.:
to advertise a reward.
to call attention to, in a boastful or ostentatious manner:
stop advertising yourself!
obsolete. to give notice, advice, or information to; inform:
i advertised him of my intention.
obsolete. to admonish; warn.
to ask for something by placing a notice in a newspaper, over radio or television, etc.:
to advertise for a house to rent.
to offer goods for sale or rent, solicit funds, etc., by means of advertis-m-nts:
it pays to advertise.
cards.

poker. to bluff so as to make the bluff obvious.
rummy. to discard a card in order to induce an opponent to discard one of the same suit or denomination.

contemporary examples

in america, gisele has advertised everything from jeans to apple computers.
the world’s savviest supermodel dom phillips may 30, 2010

i advertised in the new york review of books and new york magazine for people who were committing adultery.
a writer’s secret life, part ii susan cheever october 8, 2008

its supposedly low-cal fat-free frozen dessert, which cremalita advertised had just 60 calories in a small four-ounce serving.
snacks: you lie! the daily beast september 22, 2009

to attract like-minded women, bob advertised himself on lifestyle websites like alt.com.
a murder in detroit’s s-xual underworld steve miller october 7, 2014

moudatsou says the greek family program, which has never been advertised, focuses on homeless prevention.
a d-ckensian christmas for greece’s new poor barbie latza nadeau december 21, 2013

historical examples

this line is advertised as the finest and best equipped road beneath the sun.
there is no harm in dancing w. e. penn

lots of good books don’t sell even when they are advertised.
the foolish lovers st. john g. ervine

for another, there was no clear-cut distinction between the capitalism that owned newspapers and the capitalism that advertised.
the free press hilaire belloc

and as he frittered away the sums that flowed in, he advertised for more—and got it.
chance joseph conrad

this vision which the red cross had, which it advertised to people and made other people have, is what the people liked about it.
the ghost in the white house gerald stanley lee

verb
to present or praise (goods, a service, etc) to the public, esp in order to encourage sales
to make (something, such as a vacancy, article for sale, etc) publicly known, as to possible applicants, buyers, etc: to advertise a job
(intransitive) foll by for. to make a public request (for), esp in a newspaper, etc: she advertised for a cook
(obsolete) to warn; caution
adj.

late 15c., “informed;” 1780s, “publicly announced,” past participle adjective from advertise.
v.

early 15c., “to take notice of,” from middle french advertiss-, present participle stem of a(d)vertir “to warn” (12c.), from latin advertere “turn toward,” from ad- “toward” (see ad-) + vertere “to turn” (see versus).

sense shifted to “to give notice to others, warn” (late 15c.) by influence of advertis-m-nt; specific meaning “to call attention to goods for sale, rewards, etc.” had emerged by late 18c. original meaning remains in the verb advert “to give attention to.” related: advertised; advertising.