medium

noun

A format for communicating or presenting information.

(uncountable, especially clothing, food or drink) One of several common sizes to which an item may be manufactured.

(countable, especially clothing, food or drink) An item labelled or denoted as being that size.

The material of the surrounding environment, e.g. solid, liquid, gas, vacuum, or a specific substance such as a solvent.

The materials or empty space through which signals, waves, or forces pass.

A means, channel, agency or go-between through which communication, commerce, etc is conveyed or carried on, or by which an aim is achieved.

(biology, horticulture, etc.) A substance, structure, or environment in which living organisms subsist, grow or are cultured.

(microbiology) A nutrient substance, commonly a solution or solid, for the growth of cells in vitro.

(painting) A means of expression, in the arts, such as a material (oil, pastel, clay, etc) or method or style (expressionism, jazz, etc).

(countable, plural mediums or media) A liquid base which carries pigment in paint.

Anything of a middle rank or position.

(countable) A middle place or degree.

(engineering) The materials used to finish a workpiece using a mass finishing or abrasive blasting process.

(countable, logic) The mean or middle term of a syllogism, that by which the extremes are brought into connection.

(countable, especially with respect to clothing) One who fits an item of that size.

(countable, dated) An average; sometimes the mathematical mean.

(countable, plural mediums or (rare, nonstandard) media) Someone who supposedly conveys information from the spirit world.

(countable, Ireland, dated, informal) A half-pint serving of Guinness (or other stout in some regions).

adjective

(especially clothing, food or drink) That is medium (the manufactured size).

Of meat, cooked to a point greater than rare but less than well done; typically, so the meat is still red in the centre.

Of intermediate size, degree, amount etc.

(obsolete) Arithmetically average.

adverb

To a medium extent.

Roots

mediusmedi- · Latin · middle

Synonyms for medium

spiritualistn intermediateadj averageadj

Words related to medium

mediumshipn mediumisticadj megilpn waftage psychographer mediasn sizedadj sizesn fubsyadj

Synonyms & related words for medium

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Words related to medium

Explore words related to medium — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include mediumship, mediumistic, megilp, waftage, psychographer, medias, sized, sizes. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for medium

Common synonyms for medium include spiritualist, intermediate, average — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does medium come from?

The word medium breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root medi-, from Latin medius (“middle”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.