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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Prioritizing oneself is something Ariana Grande has been brave about as well, with Grande perhaps the poster child for the biggest mental health story of the year. — Rob Ledonne, Billboard, 10 Oct. 2026 Mojo has become the modern poster child for that comedic sub-genre, while accumulating millions of views and widespread acclaim in the process. — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 6 Oct. 2026 Holmes was once an icon in the tech world, serving as a poster child for the limitless ambitions and potential of Silicon Valley. — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026 Then there’s cloud computing, which, before the arrival of GenAI, was the poster child for transformational tech. — Carl D'halluin, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for poster child

Word History

First Known Use

1938, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of poster child was in 1938

Rhymes for poster child

See All Rhymes for poster child

Browse Nearby Words

poster boy
poster child
poster color
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Poster child.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poster%20child. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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