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

"We further found that conditioned medium from butyrate-treated IECs strongly induced IL-10-producing CD4+ T-cells in both mouse and human T-cell culture systems," Yu said.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026

Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat as needed to maintain it.

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026

It attributed the lowered outlook to slowing market growth in consumer and small and medium enterprise channels.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Ultimately, in the medium to long term, “these condos will bounce back,” Levitch said.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026

Were the spirit and the medium the same person?

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

James T. Horne III, Commander of Space Launch Delta 30, has since ordered a full review of the media coordination process because of the incident, a Space Launch Delta 30 spokesperson said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

BJP social media pages have also started using memes, slang and pop-culture references to reach younger audiences.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Videos on social media of the Kryvyi Rig incident showed rescuers rushing to help the wounded on the street outside, as smoke poured out of the building.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

But although no other media outlet has independently confirmed the letters’ authenticity, they match excerpts the New York Times quoted in a 2024 story about Harp joining the White House.

From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026

With the advent of social media there are many more ways to spread information than there were in 1980.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

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

"I like flowing between mediums," Salam says casually.

From BBC ● May 22, 2026

He said Goldenvoice searches for iconic works that will define the year, working with artists “ready to do something they’ve never done before” in “new mediums, new techniques and new ways of thinking.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2026

Stories about these three lovely American mediums appeared in hundreds of America’s newspapers right alongside reports of crime, crop prices, and ads for woodstoves.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Related Words

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