small ad

IPA/ˈsmɔːl æd/
IPA/ˈsmɔːl æd/

small ad — noun

1. a short notice placed by an ordinary person into a newspaper's classified sectio

1.nounB1
Definition

a short notice placed by an ordinary person into a newspaper's classified section or onto a website, used to sell items, look for work, or offer a service

Example

Lakshmi placed a small ad in the Sunday paper to sell her old piano.

collocation: place a small ad

Ari found a room to rent by answering a small ad on the community website.

collocation: answer a small ad

Common collocations
  • place a small ad
  • put in a small ad
  • answer a small ad
  • reply to a small ad
  • check the small ads
Synonyms
  • classified ad

    American equivalent; same meaning and usage

  • want ad

    older term, now less common; originally for job and item-wanted notices

Usage Note

British English term. The American equivalent is 'classified ad.' Often appears in the plural form 'small ads' when referring to the section as a whole.

Common Mistakes

The company put a small ad on television.
The company put a classified ad in the newspaper.
a 'small ad' is a text-based notice in a printed or online classified section, not a broadcast commercial.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Small ad' is the everyday British term for a short, text-based notice in a newspaper or website classified section. 'Classified ad' is its direct American equivalent and is now widely understood in both regions. 'Want ad' is an older term, once common for job-seeking and item-wanted notices, but has largely fallen out of use. 'Personal ad' is different: it refers specifically to notices seeking romantic or social connections, not general buying and selling. In British English, you would 'check the small ads' for a second-hand sofa; in American English, you would 'check the classifieds.'

classified adwant ad ↗personal ad

Common collocations

Nouns

  • small ad section
  • small ad page

Phrases

  • the small ads

Prepositions

  • in the small ads
  • through a small ad

Etymology

English

Formed from 'small' (referring to the compact, text-only format) and 'ad,' a shortening of 'advertisement.' The term became common in 20th-century British English as newspapers introduced dedicated classified sections where private individuals could place short, inexpensive notices distinct from larger display advertisements placed by businesses.