medium

American  

[mee-dee-uhm] / ˈmi di əm /

noun

• media,
  plural
• mediums
  plural

1. a middle state or condition; mean.

2. something intermediate in nature or degree.

3. an intervening substance, as air, through which a force acts or an effect is produced.

4. the element that is the natural habitat of an organism.

5. surrounding objects, conditions, or influences; environment.

6. an intervening agency, means, or instrument by which something is conveyed or accomplished.

   Words are a medium of expression.

7. one of the means or channels of general communication, information, or entertainment in society, as newspapers, radio, or television.

8. Biology. the substance in which specimens are displayed or preserved.

9. Also called culture medium. Bacteriology. a liquid or solidified nutrient material suitable for the cultivation of microorganisms.

10. a person through whom the spirits of the dead are alleged to be able to contact the living.

11. Fine Arts.

    1. Painting. a liquid with which pigments are mixed.

    2. the material or technique with which an artist works.

       the medium of watercolor.

12. a size of printing paper, 18½ × 23½ inches (47 × 60 centimeters) in England, 18 × 23 to 19 × 25 inches (46 × 58 to 48 × 64 centimeters) in America.

13. Chiefly British. a size of drawing or writing paper, 17½ × 22 inches (44 × 56 centimeters).

14. Also called medium strip. Midland U.S. median strip.

15. Movies, Television. in medium, with the principal actors in the middle distance.

    The scene was shot in medium.

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adjective

1. about halfway between extremes, as of degree, amount, quality, position, or size.

   Cook over medium heat. He is of medium height.

   Synonyms:

   middling, mean, average

medium British  

/ ˈmiːdɪəm /

adjective

1. midway between extremes; average

   a medium size

2. (of a colour) reflecting or transmitting a moderate amount of light Compare light 1 dark

   a medium red

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noun

1. an intermediate or middle state, degree, or condition; mean

   the happy medium

2. an intervening substance or agency for transmitting or producing an effect; vehicle

   air is a medium for sound

3. a means or agency for communicating or diffusing information, news, etc, to the public

   television is a powerful medium

4. a person supposedly used as a spiritual intermediary between the dead and the living

5. the substance in which specimens of animals and plants are preserved or displayed

6. biology short for culture medium

7. the substance or surroundings in which an organism naturally lives or grows

8. art

   1. the category of a work of art, as determined by its materials and methods of production

      the medium of wood engraving

   2. the materials used in a work of art

9. any solvent in which pigments are mixed and thinned

10. any one of various sizes of writing or printing paper, esp 18 1/ 2 by 23 1/ 2 inches or 17 1/ 2 by 22 inches ( small medium )

medium Scientific  

/ mē′dē-əm /

• media
  plural

1. A substance, such as agar, in which bacteria or other microorganisms are grown for scientific purposes.

2. A substance that makes possible the transfer of energy from one location to another, especially through waves. For example, matter of sufficient density can be a medium for sound waves, which transfer mechanical energy.

3. See more at wave

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medium Idioms  

1. see happy medium.

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Usage

See media ¹.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• media
  plural
• mediums
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of medium

First recorded in 1575–85; from Latin: “the middle,” noun use of neuter of medius “middle”; see mid ¹

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Explanation

Think of the word medium as something in between. In clothing, we have small, medium, and large; in communications, it's what signals travel through from broadcast to receiver; and in spiritual terms, it’s a person who converses with the dead. The word medium — from the Latin adjective medius, "middle" — has several meanings that all center on the idea of being in between. From the air that carries the broadcast signal, to the person who transmits messages from the dead, to the measurement of the "doneness" of your steak, medium means something that lies between two other points, people, or levels.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

medium media mediums

Hamilton was on the back foot from the moment it became clear the medium tyres he was on for the first stint were the wrong ones for this race.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

The BBC said it was "continuing to report fairly and independently in Pashto, Dari and English to our audiences in Afghanistan, on shortwave and medium wave radio, online and via satellite".

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

A 2026 study from the journal Mental Health and Social Inclusion describes stand-up comedy as a “powerful medium for reframing traumatic experiences, fostering social connectedness and enhancing emotional resilience.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

Now, it aims to increase the average selling price of high-end models by around 20 percent in the medium term.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

Order me a cheeseburger without onions, a Coca-Cola, medium, and a large order of fries if Lewis comes while I’m gone,” she said, blowing him a kiss through the window.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

When Trump announced her appointment last week in a social media post, he referred to her as “an attorney.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

TechCrunch reported Musk’s X, which had filed an antitrust suit against the group, was likely among the social media platforms.

From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026

The only thing that really mattered was the video clips created to trend on social media and the dreams of what might come next.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026

When they have been effective, they have managed to ride the choppier waves while also smoothing relations with the media - providing context for inquisitive journalists and helping tamp down any simmering issues.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

In the coming months, the media reprinted and rehashed each other’s old stories, and ran speculative tales about the frozen northlands.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Unwilling to limit themselves to literature, cats have successfully pawed their way into a wide range of artistic mediums.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

They pitted together on lap 31, Hadjar sticking to soft tyres, and Hamilton having no choice but to move to mediums.

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026

The team had split the drivers' tyre strategies - Kimi Antonelli took the conventional strategy and started on the mediums, Russell had gone for the hards.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

And to bring that vision to life, the Santa Fe, N.M.-based experiential art collective will be working with nearly 40 L.A. artists across multiple mediums.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026

His audience laughed when Burr demonstrated the many ways mediums could move objects, answer questions, or otherwise trick unsuspecting séance goers.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

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