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.
Edwin Meese 3d
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.
media
3 of 3plural of medium
Examples of media in a Sentence
Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 11 May 2024
As far as coming-of-age tales go, Betches has an upbeat one in a digital media landscape without many.
—Sapna Maheshwari, New York Times, 11 May 2024
The blaze was reported around 8 p.m. at 27th and West streets, in the city’s Hoover-Foster neighborhood, the Oakland Fire Department said in a social media post.
—Jason Green, The Mercury News, 10 May 2024
The social media platform has faced growing scrutiny from some government officials over fears that user data could fall into the possession of the Chinese government and the app could be weaponized by China to spread misinformation.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 9 May 2024
Claiborne County Mayor Joe Brooks also confirmed the death in a social media post.
—CBS News, 8 May 2024
Prince William felt frustrated by the social media firestorm surrounding Kate Middleton's health earlier this year.
—Simon Perry, Peoplemag, 8 May 2024
Then in 2021, the Supreme Court lurched back in the other direction in Mahoney v. B. L., ruling in favor of a student who contested being removed from a sports team after posting an expletive-laden social media post criticizing their school and coaches.
—TIME, 29 Apr. 2024
The 11-year-old was shot dead Friday by his older brother at their home in St. Petersburg, the St. Petersburg Police Department said in a social media post Friday.
—USA TODAY, 29 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'media.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Media.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/media. Accessed 16 May. 2024.
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