poster child

noun

1

: a child who has a disease and is pictured in posters to solicit funds for combating the disease

2

: a person having a public image that is identified with something (such as a cause)

Examples of poster child in a Sentence

She was a stirring speaker and activist and soon became the poster child of the antiwar movement.

Recent Examples on the Web

The tiny irrigation district, in Moffat County in the far northwest corner of the state, soon became the poster child for how gambling money is benefiting Colorado’s waterways. — Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 18 June 2026

Brunson, the 6-2 poster child for willpower and odds-defiance, made a rare reference to the critics who had dismissed him as too small to be the leading player on a championship team. — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 18 June 2026

Board Turmoil and Campus Drama Michigan State University might serve as the poster child for the Big Ten’s revolving door presidencies. — Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026

Back in 2017, Kendall Jenner was dubbed the poster child of gorpcore—the original social media aesthetic dedicated to relaxed, no-frills dressing. — Kelsey Stiegman, InStyle, 28 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1938, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for poster child

• domiciled
• reconciled
• undefiled
• beguiled
• brainchild
• compiled
• defiled
• exiled
• grandchild
• profiled
• refiled
• reviled