DictionaryimpressionOnline advertisement display
noun

impression

A single display or delivery of an online advertisement.

The platform counts each display of the ad as one impression.

Etymology

Latin imprimere meant to press into or stamp. Impression moved from a physical imprint to an instance of printing, and advertising later used it for a single presentation of an advertisement.

More examples

  • Our online ad received ten thousand impressions yesterday.
  • An impression does not mean someone clicked the ad.
  • Showing the ad twice to one person counts as two impressions.

Forms

impression · impressions

Similar words

display
Describes an ad's appearance rather than its counted delivery.
view
May imply actual viewing, which an impression does not guarantee.