text message

noun

: a short message sent electronically usually from one cell phone to another

Examples of text message 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.
Rescuers responded to a 911 text message at 10:11 a.m. from the Whitewater Preserve area just south of San Bernardino County. Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2025 With the program, parents receive a text message notification if their child is tardy or absent. Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025 Amber Smith, Kansas’s deputy attorney general for public protection, said the AG’s office has received five complaints about the text message scam so far in 2025. Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2025 Any unexpected sound, even getting a text message, would set off a jolt of panic through my body, the same sensation as slamming on the brakes while driving. Rebecca Nagle, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for text message

Word History

First Known Use

1977, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of text message was in 1977

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Text message.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/text%20message. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

text message

noun
: a short message sent electronically usually from one cell phone to another
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!