media

1
[ mee-dee-uh ]
See synonyms for media on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a plural of medium.

  2. (usually used with a plural verb) the means of communication, as radio and television, newspapers, magazines, and the internet, that reach or influence people widely: The media are covering the speech tonight.

adjective
  1. pertaining to or concerned with such means:a job in media research.

Origin of media

1
First recorded in 1920–25

usage note For media

Media, like data, is the plural form of a word borrowed directly from Latin. The singular, medium, early developed the meaning “an intervening agency, means, or instrument” and was first applied to newspapers two centuries ago. In the 1920s media began to appear as a singular collective noun, sometimes with the plural medias. This singular use is now common in the fields of mass communication and advertising, but it is not frequently found outside them: The media is (or are ) not antibusiness.

Words Nearby media

Other definitions for media (2 of 3)

media2
[ mee-dee-uh ]

noun,plural me·di·ae [mee-dee-ee]. /ˈmi diˌi/.
  1. Greek Grammar. a voiced plosive, as β, δ, γ.

  2. Anatomy. the middle layer of an artery or lymphatic vessel.

  1. Entomology. a longitudinal vein in the middle portion of the wing of an insect.

Origin of media

2
First recorded in 1835–45; from Late Latin (grammar sense only), noun use of feminine singular of Latin medius “middle”; cf. mid1

Other definitions for Media (3 of 3)

Media
[ mee-dee-uh ]

noun
  1. an ancient country in W Asia, S of the Caspian Sea, corresponding generally to NW Iran. Capital: Ecbatana.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use media in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for media (1 of 3)

media1

/ (ˈmiːdɪə) /


noun
  1. a plural of medium

  2. the means of communication that reach large numbers of people, such as television, newspapers, and radio

adjective
  1. of or relating to the mass media: media hype

usage For media

When media refers to the mass media, it is sometimes treated as a singular form, as in: the media has shown great interest in these events. Many people think this use is incorrect and that media should always be treated as a plural form: the media have shown great interest in these events

British Dictionary definitions for media (2 of 3)

media2

/ (ˈmɛdɪə) /


nounplural -diae (-dɪˌiː)
  1. the middle layer of the wall of a blood or lymph vessel

  2. one of the main veins in the wing of an insect

  1. phonetics

    • a consonant whose articulation lies midway between that of a voiced and breathed speech sound

    • a consonant pronounced with weak voice, as c in French second

Origin of media

2
C19: from Latin medius middle

British Dictionary definitions for Media (3 of 3)

Media

/ (ˈmiːdɪə) /


noun
  1. an ancient country of SW Asia, south of the Caspian Sea: inhabited by the Medes; overthrew the Assyrian Empire in 612 bc in alliance with Babylonia; conquered by Cyrus the Great in 550 bc; corresponds to present-day NW Iran

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012