media

noun

me·​dia ˈmē-dē-ə 

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.

Examples of media in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

At nearly $316 million, the California governor's race is the most expensive on record and the fifth-most expensive non-presidential race on record for ad spending, according to AdImpact, a media-tracking firm. —Terry Collins, USA Today, 10 June 2026

The indie media boom struck her as the moment the legitimacy hierarchy definitively broke open. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 June 2026

Leal explained that the scams often begin with a social media video directing viewers to contact a phone number through WhatsApp. —Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 9 June 2026

Elsewhere is an elegant formal dining room, a media room equipped with a wet bar, and a sleek kitchen sporting a Lacanche range, an eat-in island, and a butler’s pantry. —Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 9 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

plural of medium

First Known Use

1922, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing media

• acute otitis media
• mass media
• media blitz
• media event
• mixed-media
• otitis media
• social media
• under the media spotlight
• via media

Rhymes for media

• comedia
• commedia
• cyclopaedia
• cyclopedia
• hypermedia
• intermedia
• multimedia
• encyclopaedia
• encyclopedia

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 

plural mediae -ē-ˌē 

: the middle coat of the wall of a blood or lymph vessel consisting chiefly of circular muscle fibers

called also tunica media

media

3 of 3

see aero-otitis media, colica media, otitis media, scala media, serous otitis media