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.

---

text message British  

noun

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

---

Etymology

Origin of text message

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

“With bg. All you would have to say, is you should know that I’ve told jeffrey everything – everything,” Epstein wrote in a text message.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

Asked to respond to the lawmakers’ allegations and ProPublica’s reporting, Navarro in a text message wrote “Staggering level of hyperbole. More fake news” but did not elaborate.

From Salon • Jun. 5, 2026

When police came to arrest her, Klette managed to send off a text message to Garweg, allowing him to escape from his Berlin hideout.

From Barron's • May 27, 2026

Not long after the game ended, he heard the ping of a text message.

From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2026

I sent a text message to everyone asking them to meet at our table in the cafeteria on Friday.

From "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia C. Pérez