message

1 of 2

noun

mes·​sage ˈme-sij How to pronounce message (audio)
1
: a communication in writing, in speech, or by signals
Please take this message for me to my friend.
2
: a messenger's mission
the girl will go on a message to the shopCahir Healy
3
: an underlying theme or idea
the message is that it is time to changeThe Economist

message

2 of 2

verb

messaged; messaging

transitive verb

1
: to send as a message or by messenger
2
: to send a message to

intransitive verb

: to communicate by message

Examples of message in a Sentence

Noun Did you get my message? She has received messages of support from hundreds of people. I left a message on her answering machine. He's not here right now. Can I take a message? I liked the story but I didn't really agree with the book's message. He believed in the church's message of forgiveness.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The United States will continue precautions to reduce risk, Ryder said, like limiting pallet weight, identifying drop zones with fewer people and sending messages to civilians before dropping the aid. Alex Horton, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 While these posts aren’t explicitly activist, their proliferation sends a potent message to networks and studios: The industry’s most influential women are now a united front, prepared to share ideas, pay-equity data, and experiences in the name of making Hollywood more democratic. Ellie Austin, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2024 Ariana Grande has a message for fans who are attacking anyone on the internet after listening to the pop star’s new album Eternal Sunshine. Ashley Iasimone, Billboard, 9 Mar. 2024 Cabinet secretaries and senior White House officials are embarking on their own post-State of the Union travel blitz to amplify Biden’s message starting Friday and continuing throughout the coming weeks, hitting not only swing states but rural territory such as Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee. Will Weissert, The Denver Post, 8 Mar. 2024 Earlier this week, Brazil vice president Geraldo Alckmin featured Goku, alongside other icons of Japanese animation like Pikachu and Naruto, in a social-media message thanking Toyota for a $2.2 billion investment in the South American country. Nicholas Gordon, Fortune Asia, 8 Mar. 2024 If that wasn’t enough to drive the message home that these two are hanging out, Chelsea’s photo features a sliver of a white man’s arm. Sam Reed, Glamour, 8 Mar. 2024 Once Bolden’s story made its rounds online, including USA TODAY, his mother received a message that was sure to change their lives. Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2024 The federal tax system of the 1930s imposed levies on entertainment admissions, cameras, checks, telegraph and telephone messages, electric fans, firearms, furs, butter, candles, coffee, flour, hats, matches, and milk. Joseph Thorndike, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024
Verb
Then, on October 30, James Crumbley messaged the friend’s father saying Ethan had been trying to get a hold of him for a few days, according to messages shown in court. Nicki Brown, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 And here’s a tip that applies to any email or messaging app. Larry Magid, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 No single vendor provides solutions addressing all these tenets, so a model will help your teams balance diverse product messaging claims against the big picture for operationalizing zero trust. Ravi Ithal, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Stay connected with friends and family using messaging apps and social media, sharing your amazing experiences along the way! Hilary Tetenbaum, Detroit Free Press, 23 Feb. 2024 Or to message with the airline, click the icon in the lower right corner of the website that looks like chat bubbles. Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024 Maybe keep your messaging bland and vanilla until then. February 26 update. David Phelan, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 In October of that year, O’Connor messaged a friend on WhatsApp to pass on the tip. Ava Benny-Morrison, Fortune Europe, 26 Feb. 2024 It’s been a weird, winding road, but compared to the dozen or so messaging apps Google has tried over the years, this isn’t actually that bad. Richard Lawler, The Verge, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'message.' 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 and Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin missaticum, from Latin missus, past participle of mittere

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1582, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of message was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near message

Cite this Entry

“Message.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/message. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

message

noun
mes·​sage
ˈmes-ij
1
: a communication in writing, in speech, or by signals
2
: a messenger's errand or function
3
: an underlying theme or idea
Etymology

Noun

Middle English message "job or function of a messenger," from early French message (same meaning), from Latin missaticum "something given to a messenger to deliver," from earlier missus (past participle of mittere "to send, throw") and -aticum "action, result" — related to emit, mission, promise, submissive

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