A banner is a flag or other piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or other message. Banner-making is an ancient craft.

The word derives from late Latin bandum, a cloth out of which a flag is made (Latin banderia, Italian bandiera). German developed the word to mean an official edict or proclamation and since such written orders often prohibited some form of human activity, bandum assumed the meaning of a ban, control, interdict or excommunication. Banns has the same origin meaning an official proclamation, and abandon means to change loyalty or disobey orders, semantically "to leave the cloth or flag".

Heraldic banners

A heraldic banner is usually square or rectangular.

A distinction exists between the heraldic banner and the heraldic standard. The distinction, however, is often misunderstood or ignored. For example the Royal Standard of the United Kingdom is in fact a banner of the royal arms.

Church banners

Banners in churches have, in the past, been used mainly for processions, inside or outside of the church building. However, the emphasis has, in recent years, shifted markedly towards the permanent or transient display of banners on walls or pillars of churches and other places of worship. A famous example of large banners on display is Liverpool R.C. Cathedral, where the banners are designed by a resident artist.

For more on the design and making of church banners, see the article on Banner-making.

For banners used in the Eastern Orthodox Church, see Khorugv.

Prophetic banners

The prophet Isaiah was commanded to raise a banner and exalt his voice (Isaiah 13:2). Habakkuk received a similar order to write a vision upon tables that could be read by one who runs past it (Habakkuk 2:2). Today, banners are used to communicate the testimony of Jesus Christ by evangelists and public ministers engaged in Open Air Preaching.

Trade union banners

For more on the design and making of these banners, see Banner-making.

Advertising banners

A number of British towns and cities have whole series of banners decorating their city centres, effectively advertising the town or its special features and attractions.

Advertisements on the Internet which carry the shape of a banner are also commonly called "banners". See web banner for more information.

Protest banners