media

¹ American  

[mee-dee-uh] / ˈmi di ə /

noun

1. a plural of medium.

2. (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.

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adjective

1. pertaining to or concerned with such means.

   a job in media research.

media ² American  

[mee-dee-uh] / ˈmi di ə /

noun

plural

mediae

1. Greek Grammar. a voiced plosive, as β, δ, γ.

2. Anatomy. the middle layer of an artery or lymphatic vessel.

3. Entomology. a longitudinal vein in the middle portion of the wing of an insect.

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Media ³ American  

[mee-dee-uh] / ˈmi di ə /

noun

1. an ancient country in W Asia, S of the Caspian Sea, corresponding generally to NW Iran. Ecbatana.

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media ¹ British  

/ ˈmɛdɪə /

noun

1. the middle layer of the wall of a blood or lymph vessel

2. one of the main veins in the wing of an insect

3. phonetics

   1. a consonant whose articulation lies midway between that of a voiced and breathed speech sound

   2. a consonant pronounced with weak voice, as c in French second

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media ² British  

/ ˈmiːdɪə /

noun

1. a plural of medium

2. the means of communication that reach large numbers of people, such as television, newspapers, and radio

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adjective

1. of or relating to the mass media

   media hype

Media ³ British  

/ ˈmiːdɪə /

noun

1. an ancient country of SW Asia, south of the Caspian Sea: inhabited by the Medes; overthrew the Assyrian Empire in 612 _bc in alliance with Babylonia; conquered by Cyrus the Great in 550 _bc ; corresponds to present-day NW Iran

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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

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”; 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.

Example Sentences

Some customers have lambasted the bots on social media, while others prefer them to a garbled voice squawking from a speaker box.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

Danielle Dutta, who attended Kumar’s first book crawl in Culver City, began multiple friendships that way: messaging mutual social media connections about whether they were attending an upcoming book event.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

"It's best I don't talk about the referee. Did you see the red card?" he told the media.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

KGM’s lawyers employed the unique theory of product liability, which will serve as a bellwether strategy for the many future social media addiction cases.

From Salon • Apr. 16, 2026

“What is it?” asked Kyle as they entered the media center.

From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein

Related Words

• news
• publishing
• radio
• television