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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Medium: Definition, Usage & Common Examples (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：a means of communication (medium)

medium 🔊

/ˈmiːdiəm/

something that carries information or messages from one place or person to another.

Medium as communication channel illustrated by smartphone with social media and news apps.

a means of communication 🔊

➕

/ə miːnz əv kəˌmjuːnɪˈkeɪʃən/

A channel or method through which information, ideas, or art are conveyed or expressed.

📁 Category：Technological Inventions 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'medius' meaning 'middle' or 'center'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of a middle-man (medi-us) passing a message.

📖 Example

Social media is now the most popular medium for young people to get news. 🔊 Social media is now the most popular means of communication for young people to get news.

🔗 Collocations

mass medium – a means of communication that reaches a large audience, like TV or newspapers

medium of instruction – the language used for teaching in schools or universities

artistic medium – the materials or method used in creating art, like oil paint or sculpture

🔄 Synonyms

channel (n.) – a means or method for transmitting information or communication.

vehicle (n.) – a thing used to express, embody, or fulfill something.

conduit (n.) – a means of transmitting or distributing something, often information or funds.

🚫 Antonyms

barrier (n.) – an obstacle that prevents communication or progress.

🌱 Derivatives

media (n.) – the plural of medium, often referring to mass communication channels collectively.

multimedia (adj./n.) – using or involving several forms of media or communication.

📖 Cultural Story

The word 'medium' comes from Latin 'medius', meaning middle. In communication theory (e.g., Marshall McLuhan's 'The Medium is the Message'), it highlights how the channel of communication itself shapes perception and culture, not just the content.

Meaning 2：average in size or degree (medium)

medium 🔊

/ˈmiːdiəm/

of a size, amount, or level that is in the middle, not too big or too small, not too high or too low.

Medium size meaning shown by comparison of small, medium, and large coffee cups.

average in size or degree 🔊

➕

/ˈævərɪdʒ ɪn saɪz ɔːr dɪˈɡriː/

A point, level, or amount that is in the middle between extremes; neither large nor small, high nor low.

📁 Category：Diet & Health 🔖 Level：Beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

I‘ll have a medium coffee, please, not too strong and not too weak. 🔊 I'll have an average-sized coffee, please, not too strong and not too weak.

🔗 Collocations

medium size – a size that is between small and large

medium heat – a moderate level of temperature when cooking, not high or low

medium term – a period of time that is neither short-term nor long-term

🔄 Synonyms

average (adj.) – typical or normal in amount, degree, or value.

moderate (adj.) – average in amount, intensity, or quality; not extreme.

intermediate (adj.) – coming between two things in time, place, order, or character.

🚫 Antonyms

extreme (adj./n.) – reaching a high or the highest degree; very great.

large (adj.) – of considerable or relatively great size, extent, or capacity.

small (adj.) – of a size that is less than normal or usual.

🌱 Derivatives

medial (adj.) – situated in the middle, especially of the body.

median (adj./n.) – denoting or relating to a value or quantity lying at the midpoint of a frequency distribution.