mass medium

noun

plural mass media
: a form of communication (such as newspapers, radio, television, or the Internet) that is designed to reach many people
Television emerged as a mass medium during the 1950s, just in time to help fuel early Cold War hysteria.Joel Mathis
usually used in plural
contemporary mass media
Even in an age of mass media and digital outreach, U.S. presidents are estimated to shake hands with some 65,000 people a year.Megan Garber
He witnessed tremendous technological changes in his lifetime, from mass media to transportation, plastics, computers and fast food.Marshall Button

Examples of mass medium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But democracy on a mass scale depends on mass institutions—mass media, mass education, mass culture—that seem likely to fracture or mutate with the arrival of A.I. The forms of government that flourished in one info-epoch may not thrive in the next. Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2024 What is the most important legacy of the Watergate experience on today’s events that are often declared by both political parties and the mass media to be the most dangerous and important in the history of the United States? Jim Prochnow, The Denver Post, 1 Sep. 2024 This ingrained point of view comes as no surprise, considering the standardization of Western culture and beauty ideals in mass media go as far back as the 1920s, way before TikTok and Instagram existed. Humeara Mohamed, refinery29.com, 1 Aug. 2024 Representation matters in mass media, and tribal members from Wisconsin are continuing to ensure that Indigenous peoples are seen and heard on big and small screens this year. Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mass medium 

Word History

First Known Use

1923, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mass medium was in 1923

Dictionary Entries Near mass medium

Cite this Entry

“Mass medium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mass%20medium. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

mass medium

noun
plural mass media
: a medium of communication (as newspapers, radio, or television) that is designed to reach many people
usually used in plural
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