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.
In many ways, Ruiz has been the poster child for the Nationals’ surprising ascent. — Spencer Nusbaum, New York Times, 28 May 2026 Perhaps the poster child for the flopping phenomenon is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 May 2026 Scotty Muirhead, San Diego’s poster child for remote work, said on Instagram on Wednesday. — Noelle Harff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2026 Brunson, the 6-2 poster child for willpower and odds-defiance, made a rare reference to the critics who had dismissed him as too small to be the leading player on a championship team. — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 18 June 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 8 Jul. 2026.

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