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placard

Etymology and origin of the English word placard

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈplæk.ɑːd/ (UK); /ˈplæk.ɑɹd/, /ˈplæk.ɚd/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Middle French placard (“sealed document; plate of armour”),[2][3][4][5][6] from Old French plaquier “to stick, plaster”,[2][3][4][5] from Middle Dutch placken (“to patch, plaster”).[2][3][4] It is related to plaque.[6][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

A plate of armour (1481) and a formal document authenticated by an affixed seal (1482).[3][7][4]

Semantic evolution

The sealed document gave the senses of a warrant or licence and of an official proclamation or edict (c. 1518).[7] The meaning “a notice written or printed on one side of a sheet, posted in a public place” appeared in English in 1560, influenced by French, where it dates from the 15th century.[3][4][7] The verb, “to post placards on”, dates from 1813.[7][3][4][5]

Timeline

  • 1481 – a plate of armour.[3][7]
  • 1482 – a sealed official document.[3][7]
  • c. 1518 – an edict or proclamation.[7]
  • 1560 – a public notice or poster.[3][7][5]
  • 1813 – verb, to post placards on.[7][3][4][5]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A sign or notice for display in a public place, or carried by a demonstrator; a poster.
  2. A small card or plaque, such as a nameplate on a door.

Verb

  1. To post placards on or in.
  2. To announce or advertise by means of placards.

Word family

  • placarder
  • plaque
  • poster
  • banner
  • sign

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d e f Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Placard.” Etymologically, 11 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/placard. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·