slogan

noun

slo·​gan ˈslō-gən 

1

a

: a war cry especially of a Scottish clan

b

: a word or phrase used to express a characteristic position or stand or a goal to be achieved

2

: a brief attention-getting phrase used in advertising or promotion

Synonyms

• banner
• catchphrase
• cry
• shibboleth
• tagline
• watchword

Examples of slogan in a Sentence

within days, virtually everyone was familiar with the newest advertising slogan for that brand of soda

Recent Examples on the Web

Trademarks can cover words, slogans, and symbols and quickly distinguish goods and services from someone else’s. —Mecca Pryor, Essence, 15 Sep. 2023

But these slogans don’t necessarily preach beyond the choir. —Emily Bazelon, New York Times, 12 Sep. 2023

Participants arriving in the Indian capital were greeted by streets cleared of traffic, and graced with fresh flowers and seemingly endless posters featuring slogans and Modi’s face. —Adam Schreck and David Rising, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Sep. 2023

Arrayed in pithy slogans and long-form prose, her installation is by turns critical and spritely. —Angelica Aboulhosn, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Sep. 2023

At that time, my image of college students was that of young people demanding rights while chanting slogans and holding up protest signs. —Michael Roth, WSJ, 7 Sep. 2023

Advertisement Alas, Maddon, for all his smarts and slogans and 30 years of dedication to the franchise, couldn’t escape the Angels’ curse. —Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2023

These organizations and their slogans, Neiwert notes, fell into disuse. —Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2023

Bright floats, candy-tossing volunteers and the loud call of union slogans helped kick off this year’s Labor Day Parade in the Pullman neighborhood on the Far South Side. —Chicago Tribune Staff, Chicago Tribune, 4 Sep. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

alteration of earlier slogorn, from Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm, from sluagh army, host + gairm cry

First Known Use

1513, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

slogan

noun

slo·​gan ˈslō-gən 

1

: a word or phrase that calls to battle

2

: a word or phrase used by a party, a group, or a business to attract attention

Etymology

from earlier slogorn "war cry, rallying cry," from Scottish Gaelic, the ancient language of Scotland, sluagh-gairm "army cry," from sluagh "army" and ghairm "call, cry"

Word Origin

The clans of Scotland were groups of related families that joined together, especially to defend against outsiders. In the old days these outsiders might be other clans, but usually they were the English to the south. When it was time to gather members of the clan for a battle, the Scots would shout the sluagh-gairm, which meant "army cry." It is made up of the Scottish Gaelic word sluagh, meaning "army," and ghairm, meaning "call, cry." This came into English as slogorn and later became slogan. At first slogan meant a "battle cry" or "rallying cry." Later it came to be used for "a motto or phrase used by a group to attract attention."