instant message
noun
an electronic message sent in real time via the internet and therefore immediately available for display on the recipient's screen.
instant messages
-
pluralof instant message.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That helps explain today’s Slack channels, instant messages and other outlets for nonstop back-and-forth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 28, 2025
Its blue-and-yellow running-man logo, ubiquitous trial CDs, chat rooms, and instant messages shaped how a generation learned to be online.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2025
It looked at the emails, calendars, instant messages and calls of 61,000 of its employees in the US during the first six months of 2020.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2024
The awkwardness that only AOL instant messages could spawn stretched for an eternity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 26, 2024
Even when our avatars were doing other things, we were sending e-mails and instant messages to each other.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
