media
noun
a plural of medium.
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media
1 American
[mee-dee-uh]
/ ˈmi di ə /
noun
-
a plural of medium.
-
(usually used with a plural verb) the means of communication, as radio and television, newspapers, magazines, and the internet, that reach or influence people widely.
The media are covering the speech tonight.
adjective
media
2
American
[mee-dee-uh]
/ ˈmi di ə /
noun
mediae
plural
-
Greek Grammar. a voiced plosive, as β, δ, γ.
-
Anatomy. the middle layer of an artery or lymphatic vessel.
-
Entomology. a longitudinal vein in the middle portion of the wing of an insect.
Media
3
American
[mee-dee-uh]
/ ˈmi di ə /
noun
media
1
British
/ ˈmɛdɪə /
noun
-
the middle layer of the wall of a blood or lymph vessel
-
one of the main veins in the wing of an insect
-
phonetics
-
a consonant whose articulation lies midway between that of a voiced and breathed speech sound
-
a consonant pronounced with weak voice, as c in French second
-
media
2
British
/ ˈmiːdɪə /
noun
-
a plural of medium
-
the means of communication that reach large numbers of people, such as television, newspapers, and radio
adjective
Media
3
British
/ ˈmiːdɪə /
noun
Usage
Media, like data, is the plural form of a word borrowed directly from Latin. The singular, medium, early developed the meaning “an intervening agency, means, or instrument” and was first applied to newspapers two centuries ago. In the 1920s media began to appear as a singular collective noun, sometimes with the plural medias. This singular use is now common in the fields of mass communication and advertising, but it is not frequently found outside them: The media is (or are ) not antibusiness.
When media refers to the mass media, it is sometimes treated as a singular form, as in: the media has shown great interest in these events. Many people think this use is incorrect and that media should always be treated as a plural form: the media have shown great interest in these events
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of media1
First recorded in 1920–25
Origin of media2
First recorded in 1835–45; from Late Latin (grammar sense only), noun use of feminine singular of Latin medius “middle”; cf. mid 1 ( def. )
Explanation
All the various communications you use to get your news — magazines, websites, radio, and TV, among others — are collectively known as media. Many public figures thrive on media attention. This word is frequently used as a mass noun: "I wish the media would focus more on local news than on celebrity gossip!" You can use it for the system of news organizations that put important stories in front of the public, as well as for the journalists themselves. Philosopher and theorist Marshall McLuhan is credited with the first use of this word to mean "communication channels," in 1954.
Vocabulary lists containing media
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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.
Because these celebrity exorcists are imbued with a kind of divine authority in their audiences’ minds by their proximity to supernatural matters, their social media followings can be unusually strong and loyal.
From Slate • Jun. 8, 2026
The prime minister was previously resistant to restrictions on children's access to social media.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
These guys have won 13 playoff games in a row, and are currently drinking the milkshake of the media darling, widely favored Spurs, but they’re not screaming about being Kings of the World’s Greatest Arena.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
My first indirect encounter with a Boy Mom happened via a Facebook post from a mother with an important message for the teen girls of social media.
From Salon • Jun. 4, 2026
For the first twelve years of the Alexandriaville seventh graders’ lives, school media centers were the only libraries they had ever known.
From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
