# billboard

/ˈbɪɫˌbɔɹd/ (US) · /bˈɪlbɔːd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/billboard
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. advertising sign

noun · CEFR B1

a very large board used for showing advertisements outdoors, especially next to a road.

For teachers: a large outdoor board for displaying advertisements, typically situated alongside busy roads or on the sides of buildings.

- We saw a huge billboard for the new movie while driving on the highway.
- The marketing department allocated a significant portion of the budget to digital billboards in the city centre to ensure maximum visibility during the product launch.

Usage: In British English, 'hoarding' is more common for the same object.

### 2. TV credits/sponsors

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a short list of sponsors or credits shown at the start or end of a TV show.

For teachers: a brief announcement or visual identification of a program's sponsor or credits, appearing at the beginning or end of a broadcast.

- The show's billboard thanked the local bank for supporting the broadcast.
- The network's policy requires a five-second billboard for each major sponsor before the opening sequence of any prime-time drama.

Teaching tip: This is a specialized industry term; most viewers would simply call these 'credits' or 'sponsorship mentions'.

### 3. nautical anchor rest

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a thick piece of wood on a ship where the heavy part of the anchor rests.

For teachers: a thick plank or iron-plated structure on the bow of a vessel designed to support the fluke of an anchor.

- The sailors secured the heavy anchor onto the billboard before the storm hit.
- The ship's carpenter was tasked with reinforcing the billboard to prevent the heavy anchor fluke from damaging the hull during rough seas.

Teaching tip: This is a highly specific maritime term unlikely to be encountered outside of historical naval literature or technical manuals.

### 4. to advertise

verb · CEFR B2

to advertise a product or person on a large outdoor sign.

For teachers: to promote or advertise something through the use of billboards.

- The studio decided to billboard the lead actor's face all over the city.
- The campaign strategy was to billboard the new fragrance across every major transit hub in the metropolitan area.

Usage: Transitive verb; requires a direct object.

## Examples

- The new movie has a huge billboard in the city centre.
- Drivers often get distracted by the bright digital billboards that line the main highway into the city.
- The marketing campaign relied heavily on strategically placed billboards to ensure maximum brand visibility among daily commuters during the holiday season.

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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.