| Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993. |
| |
| medium, media, mediums (n.) |
| |
| |
| Medium is a singular noun meaning “a size in the middle, between large and small,” as in She wears a medium, I think, but among its other referents it also is “a means of communication, such as the press, television, or radio.” In this sense the word is both singular and plural, but its plural is always the Latin plural media: The media is [are] going to be useful to us. Another referent is “a person supposed to be able to communicate with the spirit world,” a sense that uses the regular English plural, mediums, as does the size sense: She’s one of several mediums practicing here in town. These sweaters are both mediums. See FOREIGN PLURALS. | 1 |
| |
| | | The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. Copyright © 1993 Columbia University Press. |
|
|
