text message

American  

noun

1. an electronic message sent over a cellular network from one cell phone to another by typing words, often in shortened form, as “l8t” for “late,” on the phone's numeric or QWERTY keypad.

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text message British  

noun

1. a written message sent by means of a mobile phone

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Etymology

Origin of text message

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

Standing in my kitchen decades later, looking at the text message, the same feeling of nausea washed over me.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026

"But since yesterday... people say there's not even any gasoline left at the gas stations," she said, in a text message to contacts in Europe.

From Barron's • Mar. 8, 2026

“She was in her 90-day window,” he said in a text message, adding that she had deployed in early August.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026

One of Shah Alam's children, Mohamad Faisal, said in a text message to Reuters that their family was not notified about his release at the coffee shop.

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

“SJ. Which you know from the I'll have SJ drop me off text message you responded to fifteen minutes ago.”

From "Dear Martin" by Nic Stone