instant messaging

American  

[in-stuhnt mes-ij-ing] / ˈɪn stənt ˈmɛs ɪdʒ ɪŋ /

noun

Digital Technology.

1. a system for exchanging typed electronic messages instantly via the internet or a cellular network, using a shared software application on a personal computer or mobile device. IM

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instant messaging British  

noun

1. Abbreviation: IM.  computing the online facility that allows the instant exchange of written messages between two or more people using different computers or mobile phones

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instant messaging Cultural  

1. A computer communications program that allows people to send and receive typed messages very rapidly. It is often used for online “chats.”

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Etymology

Origin of instant messaging

First recorded in 1995–2000

Example Sentences

After downloading OpenClaw, users connect it to existing artificial intelligence models of their choice, then give it simple instructions through instant messaging apps, as if to a friend or colleague.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

Officials for the county, around 200 miles away from the capital Beijing, said an investigation was under way, in a post shared on China's instant messaging app, WeChat.

From BBC • May 21, 2025

As an ’80s-born “child of AIM,” Martin said of AOL instant messaging, it hadn’t been hard for her to maintain co-worker friendships online.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 13, 2024

At the start of a new quarter, many UC Irvine students join communities on the instant messaging platform Discord to swap notes, chat about local restaurants and form interest groups.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 17, 2024

Take instant messaging, which the 2004 report found to be in 60 percent of homes with children, but that hadn’t been in virtually any home five years earlier.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel