Agency Dictionary

Carousel

nounPronunciation: /ˌkær.əˈzɛl/

In Portuguese: Carrossel

What does “Carousel” mean?

A multi-slide social media post format that allows users to swipe through a sequential series of images or cards.

Etymology

From French carrousel, from Italian carosello, the name of a tournament in which riders performed exercises and games on horseback. The origin of the Italian word is uncertain. English borrowed the word in the 17th century for that kind of equestrian display. The sense of a merry-go-round, with its wooden horses turning in a circle, came later and is the usual one in American English. From it come the 20th-century uses for things that rotate, such as the baggage carousel and the slide carousel, and the sequence of images or cards that a user swipes through on a screen.

Usage note

Spelled with one r and one s; the variant carrousel follows the French. British English calls the fairground ride a roundabout or a merry-go-round.

Synonyms

merry-go-round
roundabout
slideshow
slider
gallery

Often confused with

carousal: A carousal is a noisy drinking party, from the verb carouse; it is unrelated to carousel and is stressed on the second syllable.

Rhymes with

bell
tell
well
sell
spell
hotel
farewell
shell

Usage examples

How do we make someone stop their automatic behavior and redirect their attention to a text, article, or even a carousel post?

Concept

Static vs VideoThe static vs video dilemma is a contemporary media and marketing tension regarding whether to distribute ideas through rapid, dynamic short-form videos or via…

Source editions

Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.

Creative.6 - Suelen VianaJuly 10, 2023Read the edition

Words of the same theme

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recipientnoun: The person who receives something. In communication, the one to whom a message is addressed and who interprets it, as opposed to the sender who composes it.
pain pointnoun: A specific problem, difficulty or frustration that a person experiences when using a product or a service, and that design or marketing sets out to solve.
target audiencenoun: The specific group of people that a message, a product or a campaign is meant to reach, defined by what they have in common, such as needs, habits or interests.
briefingnoun: A concise set of instructions or background information provided to guide a project or creative assignment.
Accuracynoun: The degree of precision, correctness, and exactitude with which a message or action reaches its intended mark.
Anesthetizingadjective: Producing numbness, insensibility, or temporary relief from pain and critical awareness. In media studies, it describes content that pacifies audiences into mindless consumption.
Captivatingadjective: Capable of attracting, holding, or enchanting interest and affection through irresistible charm or aesthetic power.
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CPMnoun: An acronym for cost per mille, representing the advertising cost of delivering one thousand audience impressions.
Differentiationnoun: The act or process of distinguishing between two or more items or establishing uniqueness.
Fictionalizeverb: To turn real events, characters, or brand narratives into imaginative storytelling formats. It allows storytellers and marketers to communicate deeper emotional truths through symbolic narratives.

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