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View synonyms for

message

[ mes-ij ]

noun

  1. a communication containing some information, news, advice, request, or the like, sent by messenger, telephone, email, or other means.
  2. an official communication, as from a chief executive to a legislative body:

    the president's message to Congress.

  3. Digital Technology. a post or reply on an online message board.
  4. the inspired utterance of a prophet or sage.
  5. the point, moral, or meaning of a gesture, utterance, novel, motion picture, etc.
  6. Computers. a warning, permission, etc., communicated by the system or software to the user:

    an error message;

    a message to allow blocked content.



verb (used without object)

  1. to send a message, especially an electronic message.

verb (used with object)

  1. to send (a person) a message.
  2. to send as a message.

message

/ ˈɛɪ /

noun

  1. a communication, usually brief, from one person or group to another
  2. an implicit meaning or moral, as in a work of art
  3. a formal communiqué
  4. an inspired communication of a prophet or religious leader
  5. a mission; errand
  6. plural shopping

    going for the messages

  7. get the message informal.
    to understand what is meant
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. tr to send as a message, esp to signal (a plan, etc)
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • t·ȴ noun adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of message1

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin پܳ (unrecorded), equivalent to Latin miss(us) “sent” (past participle of mittere “to send”) + -پܳ -age
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Word History and Origins

Origin of message1

C13: from Old French, from Vulgar Latin پܳ (unattested) something sent, from Latin missus, past participle of mittere to send
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. get the message, Informal. to understand or comprehend, especially to infer the correct meaning from circumstances, hints, etc.:

    If we don't invite him to the party, maybe he'll get the message.

More idioms and phrases containing message

see get the message .
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

For many criminals, though, that message came too late.

From

They argued that he carried out Mr Thompson's murder "to amplify an ideological message" and spark resistance to the health insurance industry.

From

The tone of the original message tweeted by the verified @Israel account on X on the day of the Pope's death was noticeably warmer.

From

"The joy and emotion he expressed were deeply meaningful to me," he said, adding that Pope Francis left him with a powerful message to live a life of solidarity, austerity, humility and commitment.

From

Yet the parishioners hope his message will endure.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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