social media

American  

noun

(usually used with a plural verb)

1. websites and other online means of communication that are used by large groups of people to share information and to develop social and professional contacts.

   Many businesses are utilizing social media to generate sales.

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Etymology

Origin of social media

First recorded in 2000–05

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

social media

How ironic that social media is the new breeding ground for the kind of toxicity that the people mining Panettiere’s death for views purport to abhor.

From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2026

Tributes on Chinese social media revived Zhu’s most quotable lines, including his vow that he had prepared “100 coffins, 99 for corrupt officials and one for myself.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

Meta lost a social media addiction case in Los Angeles and another child safety case in New Mexico this year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

Facebook-parent Meta will defend itself in a landmark social media trial that begins Tuesday in California, where attorneys have sparred over witnesses and financial penalties.

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

Besides all this, the wildest part was seeing all the pictures of me snatched from websites and social media pages.

From "All American Boys" by Jason Reynolds

Related Words

• social platform