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

Etymology

Origin of medium

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

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

Variations from one medium to the other is a part of the process, and Martínez Celaya said he finds both thrilling and challenging.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

Such calculations fall disproportionately on small and medium producers, as big consumer-product companies are moving product on company-owned trucks and selling it by the truckload.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026

Only those assessed as high or medium risk will require the cladding to be removed, but all categories permit the cladding to be flammable.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

A medium Chanel flap bag that cost $5,800 in 2019 now goes for $11,700, for example, steering some would-be buyers toward comparatively affordable but still-coveted footwear.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

After five years of earning her living as a medium, Maggie knew by heart the questions that people asked of the dead: Are you there?

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

At the very least, I would suggest that the Manchester City scandal, which has driven the already-overheated British media to new heights of hysteria, isn’t really about soccer or sports.

From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026

Due to recurrent health problems, he is currently under house arrest rather than in a cell, but he has had restrictions imposed on him prohibiting him from posting on social media or making public statements.

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026

According to South Korean media, the flag was eventually raised properly, but only after the national anthem ended.

From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026

On a sweltering Saturday, around 100 people gathered in Culver City for a rally and march to deliver a message to several major media companies: Help us protect our democracy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

From that point forward, there wasn’t a tournament Bobby played in or an exhibition he conducted that wasn’t pre-ballyhooed by a press release Regina sent to the media.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

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

GS: It seems like you’re evolving as an artist through different mediums.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

The thesis is enlarged by a small group of sculptures, and works on paper and other supports, in many different mediums and techniques.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

Yes, he was so wedded to it, this idea that different, new mediums liberate the ones that come before.

From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026

The Spiritualist press covered Maggie’s exposure as a tragedy, not for the Spiritualist movement, but for the once great mediums Maggie and Kate Fox.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Related Words

• channel
• form
• instrument
• mechanism
• tool
• vehicle