media

media — noun

1. all the main channels that bring news, information, and entertainment to the pub

1.nounA2
Definition

all the main channels that bring news, information, and entertainment to the public — thought of as a single group. These include TV and radio broadcasts, printed newspapers and magazines, and online platforms.

Example

The media often focus on stories about celebrities and public figures.

the media + plural verb (focus)

Social media has completely changed how people share and receive news.

Common collocations
  • the media
  • news media
  • social media
  • mass media
  • mainstream media
  • media coverage
  • media attention
  • media outlet
  • media bias
  • media landscape
Synonyms
  • the press

    narrower — traditionally refers to newspapers and journalists, but now often used interchangeably with 'media'

  • news outlets

    narrower — refers specifically to organizations that produce and distribute news content

  • broadcast media

    narrower — refers specifically to television and radio, not print or online

Grammar Patterns

the media + verb (singular or plural)

Usage Note

Often used with the definite article 'the' (the media). In modern English, 'media' can take either a singular verb (when viewed as a collective whole: 'The media is biased') or a plural verb (when viewed as individual outlets: 'The media are divided on the issue'). Both are widely accepted.

Common Mistakes

The medias are covering the election closely.
The media is covering the election closely.' or 'The media are covering the election closely.
'Media' is already a plural or mass noun; adding '-s' is incorrect.
I read about it on the medias.
I read about it in the media.
Use 'in the media', not 'on the medias'.

2. digital content such as audio recordings, video clips, photographs, and other ty

2.nounB1
Definition

digital content such as audio recordings, video clips, photographs, and other types of file that are stored on a computer or shared online.

Example

You can copy the media files from the camera to your laptop.

media files — common computing collocation

This media player can handle almost any type of video format.

Common collocations
  • media file
  • media player
  • media library
  • media server
  • streaming media
  • media storage
  • removable media
  • digital media
  • media folder
Synonyms
  • digital content

    broader — includes text and documents alongside audio, video, and images

  • multimedia

    overlapping but more specific — refers to content that combines multiple formats (sound + video + text)

Grammar Patterns

media + noun (e.g. media file, media player)

Usage Note

In computing contexts, 'media' is used as an uncountable mass noun referring collectively to digital content files. It does not take an article when used generically ('We store media on the server').

3. the plural form of the noun 'medium', used when referring to more than one metho

3.nounA2
Definition

the plural form of the noun 'medium', used when referring to more than one method, material, or means of expressing or doing something.

Example

Oil paints and watercolours are two different artistic media.

artistic media — plural of artistic medium

The campaign used several media to reach different age groups.

Common collocations
  • artistic media
  • creative media
  • mixed media
  • communication media
  • various media
  • different media
  • growth media
  • digital media
  • print media
  • broadcast media

Grammar Patterns

medium (singular) → media (plural)

Usage Note

Used as the standard plural of 'medium' across various fields including art (artistic media), science (growth media), and communication (communication media). Do not add an extra '-s' — 'medias' is non-standard.

Common Mistakes

The artist works with many different medias.
The artist works with many different media.
'Media' is already the plural form of 'medium'; do not add '-s'.
Idioms

Media

idiom

an ancient country and province of the Persian Empire, located in what is now northwestern Iran.

The ancient kingdom of Media was a powerful region in the sixth century BCE.

Historical records describe Media as a wealthy province of the Persian Empire.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'The press' traditionally refers to print journalism (newspapers and magazines) and the people who work for them, giving it a narrower scope than 'media', which includes TV, radio, and the internet. 'News outlets' is more specific still — it refers to organizations that produce news content (e.g., CNN, BBC, Reuters) rather than the entire communication ecosystem. 'Broadcast media' is limited to television and radio, excluding print and digital platforms. 'Journalism' is not a synonym for the channels themselves but for the profession and activity of gathering and reporting news. For example: 'The press criticized the new law' implies newspaper editorial boards, while 'The media covered the event heavily' includes social media, TV, and online news.

the pressnews outletsbroadcast mediajournalism ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • media coverage
  • media attention
  • media outlet
  • media bias
  • media landscape
  • media industry
  • media company

Phrases

  • the media
  • social media
  • news media
  • mass media
  • mainstream media
  • digital media

Prepositions

  • in the media
  • through the media
  • by the media
  • across media

Etymology

LatinEnglish

'Media' comes directly from Latin, where it is the plural form of 'medium', meaning 'middle' or 'intermediate'. The sense of 'mass media' — television, radio, newspapers, and the internet as channels of public communication — emerged in the 1920s as broadcasting and large-scale print journalism became widespread. The computing sense (digital media files) developed later with the rise of personal computers and digital storage in the 1980s and 1990s.