ENGLISH
REFERENCE

poster child

idiom
Meaning

One who is a prototypical or quintessential example of something.


Origin

disputed origin

From the usage of appealing young people and children in charitable advertisements.

Examples
SIMPLE

He is the poster child for healthy living.

CONTEXTUAL

After winning the marathon, she became the poster child for the new fitness program.

COMPLEX

The small town became the poster child for economic decline after the local factory closed its doors forever.

Anchors to
Related idioms6entries
  1. 01

    call someone everything but a child of God

    To call someone many abusive names.

  2. 02

    heavy with child

    visibly pregnant

  3. 03

    poster boy

    A male exemplar of some trait.

  4. 04

    poster girl

    A female exemplar of some trait.

  5. 05

    problem child

    Someone or something persistently difficult or vexing; a frequent source of trouble or annoyance.

  6. 06

    sweet summer child

    Someone who is naive, or who has never experienced hardship.

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