hashtag

noun

hash·​tag ˈhash-ˌtag How to pronounce hashtag (audio)
plural hashtags
: a word or phrase preceded by the symbol # that classifies or categorizes the accompanying text (such as a tweet)
You know a thing is really a thing these days when it has its own hashtag. And there it was last week, trending on Twitter alongside #cincodemayo and #happymothersday: #umpshow, which sprang up in the wake of some shockingly bad umpiring over the first six weeks of the major league season.Joe Sheehan
It's also true that a popular hashtag can benefit important and worthy subjects, such as the recently kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls.Mark Leibovich
also : the symbol # as used in a hashtag

Did you know?

Hashtags are an everyday part of Internet culture, thanks to social media. Originally designed for categorizing posts (i.e., tagging them) on Twitter, hashtags now commonly also supplement or comment on whatever text or image they accompany. The “hash” in hashtag is short for hash mark, a term for what we also call a pound sign or, if you want to apply the word-nerdiest designation, an octothorpe. Hash in this case is probably an alteration of hatch, a term for the lines artists sometimes use to add shading to a drawing. #WordNerdery

Examples of hashtag in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web That hashtag is on its way to hitting 2 billion views on TikTok by year-end. Jennifer Weil, WWD, 19 Sep. 2024 On social media, please spread the word using the hashtag #cincySOTW. Caroline Ritzie, The Enquirer, 16 Sep. 2024 The hashtag #BoycottCMAs circulated across social media filled with negative, racist and hateful comments. Giana Levy, refinery29.com, 11 Sep. 2024 Rosie captioned the selfie, which featured herself and Blake along with the hashtags #blake, #teresa and #family. Virginia Chamlee, Peoplemag, 17 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hashtag 

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

Word History

First Known Use

2007, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hashtag was in 2007

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near hashtag

Cite this Entry

“Hashtag.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hashtag. Accessed 4 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

hashtag

noun
hash·​tag
ˈhash-ˌtag
: a word or phrase preceded by the symbol # that classifies or categorizes the accompanying text (as a tweet)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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