If you have ever needed to use the plural form of medium and wondered what it is, you have come to the right place. This article will teach you what the singular noun medium is, the plural noun, the history and origin, synonyms, and examples of the word in context.
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the tenuous material (such as gas and dust) in space that exists outside large agglomerations (see AGGLOMERATION sense 2) of matter (such as stars)
interstellar medium
– intermediate in quantity, quality, position, size, or degree
The word medium has a plethora of meanings. It can be used to describe the position, size, or condition of something and has even been used in catchphrases. It can also be used as a way to relay information or describe matter in space. Since these are easily confused words, it is important you know when and how to use the word medium and make sure it is in the correct word form.
What Is the Plural Form of Medium?
When talking about more than one medium you should use the plural media as a collective noun, but you may also see mediums. Both words are used for different things so here are the definitions of each plural form of a word, and how to use them in a sentence.
Media:
a channel or means of mass communication, information, or entertainment
– a publication or broadcast that carries advertising — mass communication, mass media, social media, news media, etc.
– a mode of artistic expression or communication
– as his literary medium he has chosen a biographical form- Ernest Newman
something (such as a magnetic disk) on which information may be stored
digital audio or video files available for playback or streaming
… the free video broadcasts can be downloaded to portable media players from a number of popular pod[cast] and vodcast Web sites.— Steve Miller
Apple’s current keyboards can use the function keys … for alternate functions such as controlling volume, screen brightness, media playback …— Dan Frakes
the medium of introduction was no doubt … the publisher — Richard Garnett
Mediums:
an individual held to be a channel of communication between the earthly world and a world of spirits, fortunetellers
material or technical means of artistic expression (such as paint and canvas, sculptural stone, or literary or musical form)
a condition or environment in which something may function or flourish
Ocean fish live in a medium of salt water.
The History and Origin of the Word
The singular form of medium dates back to the 1580s when it was taken from the Latin word medium, meaning the middle, center, interval. The adjective Latin form of medium was medhyo, meaning middle.
As the centuries went on, the word medium took on new meanings. In 1590 its new meaning was, “intervening substance through which a force or quality is conveyed.” In the 1600s it was used as a channel of communication. In 1795 it became known as a print publication which has since then grown to mean the modern-day word media that we are all so familiar with. In 1865 the word was used to describe the environment. The 1800s also brought a spiritual sense to the word, meaning someone who conveys spiritual messages.
In the adjective form of the word, in the 1700s it was used to mean intermediate and then in 1931, it was used to describe steak temperature.
Synonyms of Medium From a Thesaurus
Golden Mean- the medium between extremes : MODERATION
The English language can be a tricky thing since it is a compilation of many other languages. Finding the correct plural forms of words is an important step to becoming well educated. Now you are an expert on all things regarding medium.
Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.