ad

1 of 7

noun (1)

ˈad 

often attributive

1

: advertisement sense 1

newspapers ads

TV ads for new cars

2

: advertising

an ad agency

ad

2 of 7

noun (2)

: advantage sense 4

AD

3 of 7

abbreviation (1)

1

active duty

2

after date

3

airworthiness directive

4

Alzheimer's disease

5

anno Domini

—often printed in small capitals and often punctuated

6

assembly district

7

assistant director

8

athletic director

9

right ear

—used especially in audiology and in writing medical prescriptions

A/D

4 of 7

abbreviation (2)

analog/digital

ad-

5 of 7

prefix

variants or ac- or af- or ag- or al- or ap- or as- or at-

1

: to : toward

—usually ac- before c, k, or q

acculturation

and af- before f

affluent

and ag- before g

aggradation

and al- before l

alliteration

and ap- before p

apportion

and as- before s

assuasive

and at- before t

attune

and ad- before other sounds but sometimes ad- even before one of the listed consonants

adsorb

2

: near : adjacent to

—in this sense always in the form ad-

adrenal

-ad

6 of 7

adverb suffix

: in the direction of : toward

cephalad

-ad

7 of 7

noun suffix

: member of a botanical group

bromeliad

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• advertisement
• announcement

Examples of ad in a Sentence

Noun (1)

did you see the ads in the paper for cheap round-trip flights to Florida?

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Experts said these services are all over the Internet, with many being promoted via Facebook ads, available for download on the Apple and Google app stores and easily accessed using simple web searches. —Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2025

Such was also the focus of the brand’s 2025 ad campaign — the first under Trotter — which pictured the hands of its artisans and brand ambassadors, including Tyler the Creator, Jack Antonoff, and Zadie Smith. —Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2025

Some candidates running in the 2026 midterm have already invoked Kirk’s assassination in campaign ads and fundraising materials. —Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 27 Sep. 2025

His campaign began with a $400,000 ad buy targeting conservative voters throughout the state. —Jessie Opoien, jsonline.com, 26 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

by shortening

Noun (2)

by shortening

Prefix

borrowed from Latin, prefix forming verbs and verbal derivatives, marking movement toward, tendency, addition, from ad, preposition, "to, as far as, at, near, in accordance with" — more at at entry 1

Adverb suffix

borrowed from Latin ad "to, toward" — more at at entry 1

Noun suffix

borrowed from New Latin -ad-, -as, borrowed from Greek -ad-, -as, feminine noun suffix denoting descent from or connection with

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1799, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1915, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing ad

• ad agency
• ad blocker
• ad eundem
• ad eundem gradum
• ad feminam
• ad hoc
• ad hominem
• ad infinitum
• ad int
• ad interim
• ad lib
• ad libitum
• ad loc
• ad nauseam
• ad rem
• ad server
• ad val
• ad valorem
• ad verbum
• banner ad
• habeas corpus ad subjiciendum
• personal ad
• reductio ad absurdum
• small ad
• subpoena ad testificandum
• terminus ad quem
• want ad

Rhymes for ad

• add
• bad
• brad
• cad
• clad
• dad
• fad
• gad
• glad
• grad
• had
• lad

Kids Definition

ad

1 of 2 noun

ˈad

: advertisement sense 2

ad-

2 of 2 prefix

variants or ac- or af- or ag- or al- or ap- or as- or at-

: to : toward

—usually ac- before c, k, or q and af- before f and ag- before g and al- before l and ap- before p and as- before s and at- before t and ad- before other sounds but sometimes ad- even before one of the listed consonants

Etymology

Prefix

Latin ad- "to, toward"

Medical Definition

AD

abbreviation

1

Alzheimer disease; Alzheimer's disease

2

atopic dermatitis

3

[Latin auris dextra] right ear

—used especially in audiology and in writing medical prescriptions

4

average deviation