infomercial

noun

in·​fo·​mer·​cial ˈin-(ˌ)fō-ˌmər-shəl 

-fə-

variants or less commonly informercial

ˈin-fər-ˌmər-shəl 

plural infomercials also informercials

: a television program that is an extended advertisement often including a discussion or demonstration

The infomercials enticed viewers by combining … sales hawking—"But wait, there's more!" "Operators are standing by!"—with visual stunts such as using the knives to chip wood and saw through tin cans and lead pipes.

—Ray Henry

She is resolutely unapologetic about her most recent acting venture, an infomercial, or 30-minute TV ad in the guise of a talk show or news-magazine, for Victoria Jackson Cosmetics.

—David Hutchings

How many times have you seen an informercial that told you about a gadget that would change your life?

—Kristin Peturson-Laprise

Note: The variant informercial is sometimes regarded as a misspelling.

Examples of infomercial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Its sales model leaned on fading television infomercials, with little social-media presence or diversified distribution. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 18 Aug. 2026

Netflix has already faced deserved criticism for its sports coverage, often turning live events into infomercials for its entertainment division. — Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026

New infomercials recorded before his death, for products such as Jupiter Jack and Mighty Putty, also debuted in the weeks after. — Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 28 June 2026

The effect is like an anti-anorexia infomercial. — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

information + (com)mercial entry 2

First Known Use

1981, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for infomercial

• controversial
• noncommercial
• commercial
• inertial
• noncontroversial
• uncontroversial