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.
The founder of 777 Partners, the poster child for the underbelly of Wall Street’s insurance push, pleaded guilty to fraud Thursday. — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026 The hosts discuss Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski, who is a poster child for the type of young star that the Major League Baseball Players Association might point to as being short-changed by the sport’s current pay structure. — Scott Soshnick, Sportico.com, 15 Oct. 2026 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 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 20 Oct. 2026.

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