messages

messages — noun

1. written notes or short texts sent from one person to another, especially using a

1.nounA1
Definition

written notes or short texts sent from one person to another, especially using a mobile phone or an online application

Example

Rania checks her messages the moment she wakes up every morning.

check + messages (frequent verb collocation)

Darius scrolled through his messages while waiting for the bus.

scrolled through + messages (digital context)

Common collocations
  • unread messages
  • new messages
  • incoming messages
  • check messages
  • read messages
  • reply to messages
  • send messages
  • delete messages
  • forward messages
Synonyms
  • text

    a more specific term meaning a message sent over a mobile phone network; 'text' implies SMS rather than app-based messages

  • note

    a short informal written message, usually on paper; 'note' is less common for digital communication

  • DM (direct message)

    a private message sent through a social media platform; more specific than 'messages'

Grammar Patterns

messages + arrive/appear

send/receive/read/check + messages

Usage Note

Used as a plural noun. The singular form 'message' is used for one item: 'I received a message from Daniel.'

Common Mistakes

I got two message this morning.
I got two messages this morning.
'Message' must take the plural -s when referring to more than one.

2. the main ideas, lessons, or meanings that a person, book, film, speech, or campa

2.nounB1
Definition

the main ideas, lessons, or meanings that a person, book, film, speech, or campaign communicates to an audience

Example

The messages in Tuan's children's books are about kindness and courage.

messages + in + [work] (location pattern)

Political campaigns often repeat their core messages across different media.

core messages (typical adjective-noun collocation)

Common collocations
  • core messages
  • political messages
  • powerful messages
  • hidden messages
  • carry a message
  • spread a message
  • conflicting messages
Synonyms
  • theme

    the central topic or subject of a work; a 'theme' is broader than a 'message' and does not always carry a lesson

  • meaning

    what something communicates to the audience; 'meaning' can be personal and subjective

  • lesson

    a moral or practical truth learned from an experience or story; more specific to instructional content

Grammar Patterns

the messages + of + [work]

messages + about + [topic]

Usage Note

Unlike sense 1, this sense refers to abstract meanings rather than concrete written texts. The singular 'message' is also common: 'The message of the film is clear.'

Common Mistakes

The book's messages is about friendship.
The book's messages are about friendship.
When 'messages' is the subject, use a plural verb.
Idioms

get the message

idiom

to understand what someone is trying to communicate even when they do not say it directly, usually because they have given hints or shown their feelings through their actions

After Kofi yawned three times, his guest finally got the message and stood up to leave.

The manager kept looking at her watch, hoping the sales team would get the message and finish the meeting.

send a message

idiom

to make a strong and clear statement about your opinions or intentions through your actions, especially to influence how others see you or behave

By banning single-use plastic bags, the city council sent a clear message about protecting the environment.

Refusing to negotiate sent a strong message that the union would not accept lower wages.

messages — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Messages, texts, notes, DMs, and notifications are all types of short written communication, but they differ in medium and formality. A message is the most general term — it can be anything from a WhatsApp chat to a voicemail transcript or a Post-it on a fridge. A text specifically refers to an SMS sent over a mobile phone network, though many people now use 'text' loosely for any short phone-based message. A note is a brief informal message, usually handwritten on paper, and carries a slightly old-fashioned or personal tone. A DM (direct message) is a private message sent through a social media platform like Instagram or Twitter — it implies a one-to-one conversation within a public platform. A notification is a system-generated alert, not a person-to-person message. For example: 'I sent Sofie a message on WhatsApp'; 'Kevin left a note on my desk'; 'I got a notification that my package had arrived.'

text ↗note ↗direct message (DM)notification ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • text messages
  • voice messages
  • email messages
  • phone messages
  • instant messages

Adverbs

  • urgently messages
  • frequently messages
  • immediately messages
  • privately messages

Phrases

Prepositions

  • messages to
  • messages from
  • messages about
  • messages for

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'message' entered English from Old French 'message', which came from the Latin verb 'mittere' (to send). The past participle of 'mittere' is 'missus' (sent), and from this root came the noun 'missaticum' (a thing sent), which evolved into the Old French 'message'. The word has been used in English since the early 13th century, originally referring to any communication sent by a messenger. With the invention of the telegraph in the 19th century, 'message' took on an electronic meaning, and in the 1990s it expanded again to cover text messages and instant messages. The plural form 'messages' became especially common in the smartphone era as the primary way people refer to their inbox of short digital communications.

First known use

14th century

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Verb