What does "placard" mean?
A sheet of paper or cardboard with a written or printed announcement on one side for display in a public place.
Placard
/ˈplæk.ɑɹd/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A sheet of paper or cardboard with a written or printed announcement on one side for display in a public place.
- Grammar: placard is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: notice, poster, advertise, advertisement.
- Useful contrasts: blank sign, conceal, erase.
- Usage evidence: The machine has a warning placard reminding people to use lockout and tagout.
How to use "placard"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "placard" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "placard" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "placard" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "placard" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "placard" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "notice" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "placard", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A sheet of paper or cardboard with a written or printed announcement on one side for display in a public place.
"Especially from Mr. Borthrop Trumbull, a distinguished bachelor and auctioneer of those parts, much concerned in the sale of land and cattle: a public character, indeed, whose name was seen on widely distributed placards, and who might reasonably be sorry for those who did not know of him."
- 2 a sign posted in a public place as an advertisement wordnet
- 3 A public proclamation; a manifesto or edict issued by authority. obsolete
"All placards or edicts are published in his name."
- 4 Permission given by authority; a license. obsolete
"to give a placard to do something"
- 5 An extra plate on the lower part of the breastplate or backplate of armour. historical
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A kind of stomacher, often adorned with jewels, worn in the fifteenth century and later. historical
- 7 The woodwork and frame of the door of a closet etc.
Verb
- 1 To affix a placard to.
"The inner walls of the church were placarded with large mural tablets of copper, bearing engraved inscriptions celebrating the merits of old Heilbronn worthies of two or three centuries ago, […]"
- 2 publicize or announce by placards wordnet
- 3 To announce with placards.
"to placard a sale"
- 4 post in a public place wordnet
Example
"The machine has a warning placard reminding people to use lockout and tagout."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "placard"?
Common synonyms include: notice, poster, advertise, advertisement, affiche, ballyhoo.
How do you use "placard" in a sentence?
The machine has a warning placard reminding people to use lockout and tagout.
How do you pronounce "placard"?
Pronounced /ˈplæk.ɑɹd/.
Etymology
From Middle English placard (“official document”), from Middle French placard, placart, plaquart (“a placard, a writing pasted on a wall”), from the Old French verb plaquer, plaquier (“to stick or paste, roughcast”), from Middle Dutch placken, plecken (“to glue or fasten, plaster, patch”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *plaggą (“a piece of cloth, patch”), equivalent to plaque + -ard. Related to Middle Low German placken (“to smear with lime or clay, plaster”), Saterland Frisian Plak, Plakke (“a hit, smack, slap”), German Placken (“a spot, patch”), Icelandic plagg (“a document”), Hebrew פלקט (plakat, “a large sheet of paper, typically with a photo or writing, posted on the wall”), English play. Compare also Modern Dutch plakkaat (“placard”), Saterland Frisian Plakoat (“a placard, poster”). More at play.