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 of slogan

• banner
• motto

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

Complex issues are reduced to slogans. —Rep. Nick Menapace, Hartford Courant, 8 Apr. 2026

Students’ greatest skills are now parroting pre-formulated slogans and protesting on immigration enforcement, gender ideology, race, foreign policy, or the Supreme Court long before they have been taught the intellectual discipline necessary to evaluate any of those issues seriously. —Courtney Corbello, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2026

After local, national and European rallies altogether drew millions bearing colorful posters, international flags and pro-democracy slogans March 28, the joke’s on him. —Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026

But in modern English parlance, mantra has come to mean a person or group’s representative phrase, similar to a slogan or a watchword. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026

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

Rhymes for slogan

• bogan
• brogan
• shogun
• yogin

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."