media

1 of 3

noun (1)

me·​dia ˈmē-dē-ə How to pronounce media (audio)
plural medias
often attributive
1
a
singular or plural in construction : mass media
b
medias plural : members of the mass media
2
: a medium of cultivation, conveyance, or expression
Air is a media that conveys sound.
especially : medium sense 2a
Is media singular or plural?: Usage Guide

The singular media and its plural medias seem to have originated in the field of advertising over 70 years ago; they are still so used without stigma in that specialized field. In most other applications media is used as a plural of medium. The popularity of the word in references to the agencies of mass communication is leading to the formation of a mass noun, construed as a singular.

there's no basis for it. You know, the news media gets on to something Edwin Meese 3d
the media is less interested in the party's policies James Lewis, Guardian Weekly

This use is not as well established as the mass-noun use of data and is likely to incur criticism especially in writing.

media

2 of 3

noun (2)

me·​dia ˈmē-dē-ə How to pronounce media (audio)
plural mediae ˈmē-dē-ˌē How to pronounce media (audio)
1
[Late Latin, from Latin, feminine of medius; from the voiced stops' being regarded as intermediate between the tenues and the aspirates] : a voiced (see voiced sense 2) stop (see stop entry 2 sense 1b)
2
[New Latin, from Latin] : the middle coat of the wall of a blood or lymph (see lymph sense 2) vessel consisting chiefly of circular muscle fibers

media

3 of 3

plural of medium

Examples of media in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Photos from the social media post show the small white dog tucked between trash bags and surrounded by bottles and candy wrappers. Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 22 Mar. 2024 Deputies concluded an extensive search at the park on Friday afternoon, the sheriff’s office said in a social media post. Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024 Crunk said she’s stunned by the number of complete beginners who go way beyond their limits in search of the perfect social media post. Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2024 Workers today have much to be stressed out about; Geopolitical tensions are dominating their social media feeds, the cost of living is spiraling and the property market remains out of reach for many. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune Europe, 22 Mar. 2024 What seemed like an ordinary job posting gained huge online attention, as the royal family faces a media crisis — and is unable to shake the firestorm of conspiracy theories regarding the health and whereabouts of Catherine, the Princess of Wales. Jennifer Hassan, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024 Peeks into celebrities’ lives were once carefully curated and rationed through a limited set of media outlets, said Moya Luckett, a media historian at New York University. Tiffany Hsu, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024 Dozens of civil society groups facing police investigations and other obstacles closed, as well as vocal pro-democracy media outlets Apple Daily and Stand News. Kanis Leung, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Mar. 2024 Their progression has only been hastened by the deluge of happy hair system recipients that have started to flood our social media feeds. John Ortved, Robb Report, 12 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'media.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

plural of medium

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1922, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (2)

1841, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of media was in 1841

Dictionary Entries Near media

Cite this Entry

“Media.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/media. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

media

1 of 2

plural of medium

media

2 of 2 noun
me·​dia
ˈmēd-ē-ə
1
: a medium of cultivation, conveyance, or expression
especially : medium sense 3
2
a
singular or plural : forms or systems of communication designed to reach a large number of people : mass media
b
plural : members of the mass media

Medical Definition

media

1 of 3

plural of medium

media

2 of 3 noun
me·​dia ˈmēd-ē-ə How to pronounce media (audio)
plural mediae -ē-ˌē How to pronounce media (audio)
: the middle coat of the wall of a blood or lymph vessel consisting chiefly of circular muscle fibers

called also tunica media

Geographical Definition

Media

geographical name

Me·​dia ˈmē-dē-ə How to pronounce Media (audio)
ancient country and province of the Persian Empire in the northwestern part of modern Iran
Median adjective or noun

More from Merriam-Webster on media

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!