text message

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noun

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.

QUIZ

ALL IN FAVO(U)R OF THIS BRITISH VS. AMERICAN ENGLISH QUIZ

There's an ocean of difference between the way people speak English in the US vs. the UK. Are your language skills up to the task of telling the difference? Let's find out!

Question 1 of 7

True or false? British English and American English are only different when it comes to slang words.

true

false

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Compare instant message (def. 1).

Origin of text message

First recorded in 1975–80

Words nearby text message

text editor, texter, text hand, textile, textlationship, text message, text messaging, text processing, textspeak, text-to-speech, textual

How to use text message in a sentence

Dose of Roses sent out text messages and emailed customers to buy early, to avoid delivery delays due to Covid-19.
Brands court customers with different tactics this Covid-tinged Valentine’s Day|Erika Wheless|February 11, 2021|Digiday
It handles registrations, creates vaccination schedules, informs the recipients through text messages, sends people to the right vaccination center, and also creates a vaccination certificate after they’ve received two doses.
India is betting on glitchy software to inoculate 300 million people by August|Lindsay Muscato|February 10, 2021|MIT Technology Review
When Magpayo was named acting head coach at UC Riverside, he received a text message from an unknown number.
Asian Coaches Association advocates for ‘minority of minorities’ in college basketball|Gene Wang|February 9, 2021|Washington Post
In both cases, the center was able to counsel the children over text message and dispatched emergency personnel.
How mental-health crisis centers have tried to weather the COVID-19 storm|Jonathan Vanian|February 5, 2021|Fortune

That same year, Belarus-born Eugenia Kuyda digitally re-created her deceased best friend using text messages he had sent friends before dying in a car crash.
AI chat bots can bring you back from the dead, sort of|Dalvin Brown|February 4, 2021|Washington Post
When it comes to educating our children, Congress should heed that message, not ignore it.
The ‘No Child’ Rewrite Threatens Your Kids’ Future|Jonah Edelman|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Leelah Alcorn's message was sent, and heard, and things started changing.
Cover-Ups and Concern Trolls: Actually, It's About Ethics in Suicide Journalism|Arthur Chu|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Does the sending of the message “justify” the tragedy that caused it?
Cover-Ups and Concern Trolls: Actually, It's About Ethics in Suicide Journalism|Arthur Chu|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But the act of killing herself done, the message was sent, and heard, and things started changing.
Cover-Ups and Concern Trolls: Actually, It's About Ethics in Suicide Journalism|Arthur Chu|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The audio message featured the words, “the real battle in Lebanon is yet to begin.”
A Sunni-Shia Love Story Imperiled by al Qaeda|Ruth Michaelson|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As the weeks wore on, the pretence of practical teaching was quietly dropped, and we crammed our science out of the text-book.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
His head fell back limp on MacRae's arm, and the rest of the message went with the game old Dutchman across the big divide.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
We were interrupted at this moment by a message from General Houston, to whom we immediately hastened.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
"It will go through, if I live," calmly replied Harry, as he carefully concealed the message in the lining of his coat.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
The text of the amendments designed to carry out these recommendations will be submitted by the Board at an early date.
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips

British Dictionary definitions for text message

text message

noun

a written message sent by means of a mobile phone

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012