media

¹

[ mee-dee-uh ]

noun

1. a plural of medium none.
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.

media

²

[ mee-dee-uh ]

noun

, plural me·di·ae [mee, -dee-ee].

1. Greek Grammar. a voiced plosive, as β, δ, γ.
2. Anatomy. the middle layer of an artery or lymphatic vessel.
3. Entomology. a longitudinal vein in the middle portion of the wing of an insect.

Media

³

[ mee-dee-uh ]

noun

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

media

¹

/ 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

Media

²

/ 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

media

³

/ ˈmɛdɪə /

noun

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
3. phonetics
   1. a consonant whose articulation lies midway between that of a voiced and breathed speech sound
   2. a consonant pronounced with weak voice, as c in French second

Usage Note

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.

Usage

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of media¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Origin of media²

First recorded in 1835–45; from Late Latin (grammar sense only), noun use of feminine singular of Latin medius “middle”; mid ¹( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of media¹

C19: from Latin medius middle

Example Sentences

People on social media have said the request trivialised animal rights issues, but Ms Allen has hit back saying critics were getting their "knickers in a twist".

From BBC

A man has been arrested after women were filmed on nights out without their knowledge and the videos were shared on social media.

From BBC

Recently, there has been a debate on social media around whether people should sing along in cinemas, sparked by the release of Wicked.

From BBC

It caused significant disruption across the country, with local media reporting that flights had been grounded, roads closed, and that there were delays to transport services.

From BBC

The Egyptian navy is in charge of the rescue operation and the military has kept the survivors away from the media.

From BBC

Related Words

• news
• publishing
• radio
• television

What Is The Plural Of Media?

Plural word for media

Media is the plural form of the singular noun medium. The plurals of several other singular words that end in -um are also formed in this way, including memorandum/memoranda, datum/data, and bacterium/bacteria. 

The irregular plural media derives directly from its original pluralization in Latin. 

While less common, the standard English plural form mediums is also valid for some definitions of this term, such as in the sense of “a person through whom the spirits of the dead are alleged to be able to contact the living.” 

Like data, media can be treated as either a singular collective noun or a plural noun, depending on context and meaning. For instance, when describing mass media (“a collection of different media that a general population can access, like newspapers and radio programs”), media can be treated as a singular collective noun.