banner

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 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)

Synonyms of banner

• flag

Examples of banner in a Sentence

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

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

Recent Examples on the Web

His banner image behind that avatar is a shot of the Knicks celebrating their first Eastern Conference finals win since 1999. —Jared Weiss, New York Times, 8 June 2026

Johnson has designed patches for KC Current’s Pride collection, hand-painted a banner for the Google Pixel x NWSL Championship, wrestling merchandise and uniforms and more. —Kansas City Star, 7 June 2026

Marchers carrying rainbow flags, signs and banners made their way through downtown Media before gathering at the Delaware County Courthouse for a Pride flag-raising ceremony. —Eva Andersen, CBS News, 6 June 2026

Is that why the banner flew last night? —Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

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.

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing banner

• under the banner of

Rhymes for banner

• branner
• canner
• fanner
• kanner
• manner
• manor
• planner
• scanner
• spanner
• tanner

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