# ADS

/ˈædz/ (US) · /ˈædz/ (UK) · CEFR A2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/ads
Updated: 2026-05-02

## Definition

short for advertisements; pictures, videos, or text used to persuade you to buy something.

For teachers: the plural form of the abbreviation for advertisements; public notices or announcements promoting a product, service, or event.

## Examples

- I see too many ads on my social media feed.
- The company decided to run targeted ads during the championship game to reach a wider audience of sports fans.
- While digital ads offer unprecedented tracking capabilities, many consumers find the resulting loss of privacy an unacceptable trade-off for personalized content.

## Pitfalls

- Not "The company made many publicity." but "The company made many ads." — Learners often confuse 'publicity' (uncountable) with 'ads' (countable); use 'ads' when referring to specific promotional messages.

## Usage notes

- Commonly used as a plural noun; the singular 'ad' is equally standard in informal and semi-formal contexts.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.