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
Edwin Meese 3d
the media is less interested in the party's policies
—James Lewis, Guardian Weekly
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.
plural mediae
ˈmē-dē-ˌē 
1
[Late Latin, from Latin, feminine of medius; from the voiced stops' being regarded as intermediate between the tenues and the aspirates]
: a voiced (see voiced sense 2) stop (see stop entry 2 sense 1b)
2
[New Latin, from Latin]
: the middle coat of the wall of a blood or lymph (see lymph sense 2) vessel consisting chiefly of circular muscle fibers
media
3 of 3plural of medium
Examples of media in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
The media mogul opted for a light-brown suede jacket with puff sleeves, layered over a ruffle blouse that was tucked into her wide-leg jeans.
—Eva Thomas, InStyle, 4 Apr. 2026
The social media giant recently suffered two key losses in court involving child safety.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 4 Apr. 2026
Astronaut Don Pettit, following along with the mission from home, shared an image on his social media feed.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for media
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Noun
At least that’s according to interviews here with several Illini and Huskies players, who universally concurred that the media versions of Underwood and Hurley are not really an accurate portrayal of their personalities.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
The media mogul opted for a light-brown suede jacket with puff sleeves, layered over a ruffle blouse that was tucked into her wide-leg jeans.
—Eva Thomas, InStyle, 4 Apr. 2026
The social media giant recently suffered two key losses in court involving child safety.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 4 Apr. 2026
Astronaut Don Pettit, following along with the mission from home, shared an image on his social media feed.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for media
Cite this Entry
“Media.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/media. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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