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 (such as news outlets)
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
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Noun
Others argue the outburst may ultimately benefit the MAGA media ecosystem by driving traffic and attention to its biggest personalities. Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2026 Margot, who works for a social-media platform called Kino and shares a New Orleans apartment with her bestie, Ryan (Aaron Holliday), has only just crawled out of a dark period and doesn’t require much to teeter back in. Alison Willmore, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026 The pothole is located on southbound lanes of the freeway just south of Palmdale Boulevard, CHP officials said in a social media post alerting the public. Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2026 As well-wishers floated between a recording studio, the walk-in closet, a media room, and guest bedrooms, Tuco, the dog, looked completely unfazed by the dozens of curious guests peeking behind every corner. Freya Drohan, Vogue, 9 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for media

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Media.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/media. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.

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

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