a means or instrumentality for storing or communicating information
"The old librarian insisted that handwritten letters served as a vital medium for preserving family history before digital archives became common."
an intervening substance through which signals can travel as a means for communication
"The storm cleared the air, turning it into a poor medium for radio waves and causing my signal to drop."
(bacteriology) a nutrient substance (solid or liquid) that is used to cultivate micro-organisms
"The microbiologist adjusted the incubator temperature after pouring fresh agar medium into the sterile petri dishes."
a liquid with which pigment is mixed by a painter
"The artist carefully stirred the oil paint into his medium to achieve the perfect consistency for the brushstrokes."
(biology) a substance in which specimens are preserved or displayed
"The curator carefully placed the rare butterfly specimen into a sealed medium to ensure it remained perfectly preserved for years."
an intervening substance through which something is achieved
"the dissolving medium is called a solvent"
someone who serves as an intermediary between the living and the dead
"he consulted several mediums"
(usually plural) transmissions that are disseminated widely to the public
"The campaign team decided to target their message across all major media, ensuring maximum visibility for the new policy proposal."
The material of the surrounding environment, e.g. solid, liquid, gas, vacuum, or a specific substance such as a solvent.
"The scientist adjusted the temperature of the liquid medium to observe how the bacteria reacted."
In plain English: A medium is something that acts as a middle point between two extremes or serves as a channel for communication.
"She ordered a medium-sized coffee from the barista."
Usage: Use this word to describe the physical substance or environment through which sound, heat, or light travels, such as air acting as a medium for sound waves. It refers specifically to the material carrier of energy rather than the person creating art or an intermediate level.
around the middle of a scale of evaluation
"an orange of average size"
"intermediate capacity"
"medium bombers"
(meat) cooked until there is just a little pink meat inside
"I prefer my steak medium so it stays juicy but isn't raw in the center."
Arithmetically average.
"Between the smallest and largest values, the medium income in our dataset is exactly the arithmetical average."
In plain English: Medium means something that is average, neither very big nor very small.
"The waiter brought us a medium-rare steak."
Usage: Use medium as an adjective to describe something that falls between two extremes in size, intensity, or quality. It is often confused with the noun form referring to a substance or means, but here it functions solely as a descriptor of an intermediate state.
To a medium extent.
"The traffic was neither terrible nor completely smooth; it was just about a medium level of congestion."
In plain English: To do something in a medium way means to do it at an average level, not too much and not too little.
"The music was too loud, so I put the volume on medium."
Usage: Use "medium" as an adverb only when it modifies another adverb or adjective to indicate a moderate degree, such as in "she smiled medium bright." It is incorrect to use it directly before a noun, where the adjective form must be used instead.
The word "medium" comes from the Latin term for "middle," which originally described something situated between two points. It entered English with this same meaning to refer to an intermediate state or a person who communicates with spirits.