banner

1 of 3

noun

ban·​ner ˈba-nər 

1

a

: a piece of cloth attached by one edge to a staff and used by a leader (such as a monarch or feudal lord) as a standard (see standard entry 1 sense 1)

b

: flag entry 2 sense 1

our nation's beloved banner

c

: an ensign displaying a distinctive or symbolic device or legend (see legend sense 2a)

especially : one presented as an award of honor or distinction

2

: a headline in large type running across a newspaper page

The banner read "Kennedy Wins."

3

: a strip of cloth on which a sign is painted

welcome banners stretched across the street

4

: a name, slogan, or goal associated with a particular group or ideology

the new banner is "community control"

—F. M. Hechinger

—often used with under

every new administration arrives … under the banner of change

—John Cogley

5

or banner ad or banner advertisement : an advertisement graphic (see graphic entry 2 sense 2b) that runs usually across the top of a World Wide Web page

6

or banner petal : the upper, large, often lobed petal of a papilionaceous flower (as of a pea or bean plant) : standard sense 8a, vexillum sense 3

The uppermost petal is the largest, and, since it is something like a flag, is sometimes called the banner.

—John Nelson

compare keel sense 2b, wing sense 2e(2)

banner

2 of 3

verb

bannered; bannering; banners

transitive verb

1

: to furnish with a banner

a bannered storefront

2

journalism : to print (a news story) under a headline in large type usually on the front page

News of the defeat was bannered in newspapers throughout the country.

banner

3 of 3

adjective

1

: prominent in support of a political party

a banner Democratic county

2

: distinguished from all others especially in excellence

a banner year for business

Synonyms

Noun

• banderole
• banderol
• colors
• ensign
• flag
• guidon
• jack
• pendant [chiefly British]
• pendent
• pennant
• pennon
• standard
• streamer

Adjective

• A-OK
• A1
• awesome
• bang-up
• beautiful
• blue-chip
• blue-ribbon
• boffo
• bonny [chiefly British]
• bonnie
• boss [slang]
• brag
• brave
• bully
• bumper
• capital
• choice
• classic
• cool [slang]
• corking
• crackerjack
• cracking
• dandy
• divine
• dope [slang]
• down [slang]
• dynamite
• excellent
• fab
• fabulous
• famous
• fantabulous [slang]
• fantastic
• fine
• first-class
• first-rate
• first-string
• five-star
• four-star
• frontline
• gangbusters
• gangbuster
• gilt-edged
• gilt-edge
• gone [slang]
• grand
• great
• groovy
• heavenly
• high-class
• hot
• hype [slang]
• immense
• jim-dandy
• keen
• lovely
• marvelous
• marvellous
• mean
• neat
• nifty
• noble
• number one
• No. 1
• numero uno
• out-of-sight [slang]
• par excellence
• peachy
• peachy keen
• phat [slang]
• prime
• primo [slang]
• prize
• prizewinning
• quality
• radical [slang]
• righteous [slang]
• sensational
• slick
• splendid
• stellar
• sterling
• superb
• superior
• superlative
• supernal
• swell
• terrific
• tip-top
• top
• top-notch
• top-of-the-line
• top-shelf
• topflight
• topping [chiefly British]
• unsurpassed
• wizard [chiefly British]
• wonderful

Examples of banner in a Sentence

Noun

A banner was hung over the street advertising the local theater production.

Banners were carried by members of each group marching in the parade.

Adjective

It was a banner year for the sales department.

The team had a banner season last year.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The banner will finance and produce film and TV projects, with an emphasis on elevated action, thrillers, sci-fi, fantasy and comedy. —Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 26 Apr. 2024

Officials said that commencement would include security screenings and registration for most events and that banners and flags would be prohibited. —Daniella Silva, NBC News, 26 Apr. 2024

Once the protesters had been removed, the police broke down some of the tents and banners and tossed them into an alley. —Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2024

Below that was a banner with his name alongside other members of the men’s basketball team’s 1,000-point club. —Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2024

As pro-Palestinian protesters gather in solidarity and their tents, sleeping bags and banners dot the greenspace on campuses across the U.S., many students -- Jewish and non-Jewish alike -- could be seen at makeshift tables this week over a Seder dinner to honor the Passover holiday. —Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 24 Apr. 2024

Palestinian flags waved around the square, with banners and signs bearing messages in support of Palestinians. —John Bacon, USA TODAY, 23 Apr. 2024

There were eight Palestinian flags flying from poles and a tree branch around the square with various banners and signs bearing messages in support of Palestinians. —Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 23 Apr. 2024

Assisting Anderson Beer with the banner’s growing slate and ambitions are two new hires, Alexandra Bank and Spencer Walken, tapped as Lab Brew vice presidents. —Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Apr. 2024

Verb

Don’t Look Up and an executive producer on HBO’s Winning Time, is one of the originators of the idea and is producing via his Hyperobject Industries banner along with the company’s Todd Schulman. —Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 June 2022

Thue noted that a licensing subcommittee had already voted in favor of granting The Pearl its license — and the commission decided that walk-in traffic and social media were an acceptable substitute for a sign or banner out front. —Stefene Russell, The Salt Lake Tribune, 23 Feb. 2022

Lawrence will executive produce under his Doozer Productions banner along with Jeff Ingold. —Joe Otterson, Variety, 13 Oct. 2021

Back at Harry’s, half a dozen Proud Boys marched with a white Black Lives Matter banner down 11th Street toward the churning crowd. —Washington Post, 14 Dec. 2020

Yes, there will be ads in the apps, and banner ads as well, but in a briefing, Google declined to state what type of companies will be advertising on the platform or to even cite product categories. —Jefferson Graham, USA TODAY, 31 Aug. 2020

Suspects surface: Why not the nearest neighbor, Trump sign bannering his yard, who once groped Jacy and hopes to buy Lincoln’s property? —Mameve Medwed, BostonGlobe.com, 25 July 2019

Before a cheering crowd of Cuban-Americans in Miami last June, Trump bannered his harder line on Cuba. —Anthony Faiola, Washington Post, 11 May 2018

Class 6A state champion Pope banners the top 10 after defeating No. —Craig Sager Jr., ajc, 6 June 2017

Adjective

Investment banking still holds appeal, especially after a banner fourth quarter. —Rochelle Toplensky, WSJ, 3 Mar. 2020

The ’70s weren’t exactly banner days for newsroom diversity. —Heidi Stevens, chicagotribune.com, 18 Apr. 2018

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English baner, banere, borrowed from Anglo-French baner, banere, baniere (also continental Old French), probably from ban "summon to arms by a king or lord" + -iere -er entry 2 — more at ban entry 2

Note: The assumption behind this etymology is that the word may have originally denoted the place where the men called to arms assembled, then the flag or pennant that marked that place. The alternative hypothesis that sees it as ultimately deriving from Gothic bandwa "sign" (see band entry 3) seems less likely. For the relation between this word and Old Occitan bandiera, see the etymology and note at banderole.

Verb

derivative of banner entry 1

Adjective

from attributive use of banner entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1807, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1840, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing banner

• banner ad
• banner advertisement
• banner petal
• under the banner of

Kids Definition

banner

1 of 2 noun

ban·​ner ˈban-ər 

1

: flag entry 2 sense 1

2

: a strip of cloth with a design, picture, or writing on it

banner

2 of 2 adjective

: unusually good : outstanding

a banner year for apples