I. ˈmesij, -sēj noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old French, from Medieval Latin missaticum, from Latin missus (past participle of mittere to send) + -aticum -age — more at smite
1. : a charge, service, or function of a messenger : mission
murmuring her lesson to herself like a child sent on a message — Francis Hackett
the girl will go on a message to the shop — Cahir Healy
2. : a written or oral communication or other transmitted information sent by messenger or by some other means (as by signals)
3.
a. : a divinely inspired or revealed communication (as of a prophet) : an inspired utterance : evangel
b. : the basic teachings of a religious revelation
the reader becomes aware of some subordinate aims which have left their mark on the form of the message — Interpreter's Bible
also : an interpretation of such a revelation
had preached a rather shallow message — J.C.Brauer
c. : a sermon or homiletical discourse forming part of a worship service or other religious meeting
the pastor brought the message
d. : a discourse or statement made to a gathering and intended especially to inspire, encourage, or greet
gave an appropriate blessing and also a message of goodwill for the absent members — Joseph Hitrec
4. : an official communication (as from a sovereign to a parliament or from a chief executive to a legislature) often not made in person but delivered by messenger and read by an authorized person
the presidential message has grown from a formal requirement of the Constitution to a recognized and influential source of legislative action — W.S.Sayre
the messages the president must work on are the State of the Union address, the budget, and the economic report — New York Times
5.
a. : a principle or basic purpose signified in one's life or lifework : a meaning (as of a work of art) that communicates itself : import , significance
the message of a fine symphony or string quartet — Winthrop Sargeant
the role of a work of art is to communicate its message to the spectator — Ladislas Segy
b. : an underlying or pervasive theme or idea intended to inspire, urge, advise, warn, or enlighten
the message of a movie dealing with juvenile delinquency
calls her novels fables with a message — W.S.Campbell
small size and population permits an energetic candidate to carry his message personally throughout the state — Douglass Cater
6. : a group of words used to advertise or notify
postcards with advertising messages — National Stamp News
the message of a radio commercial
7. : a communication held to originate with a departed spirit, to be transmitted by a medium, and to be intended for a living person
8.
a. : the substance of a telephone call
b. : the contents of a telegram, cablegram, or radiogram
9. : a unit of information that is received by a sensory organ, is transmitted centrally in the nervous system, and functions as a stimulus
certain definite and fixed messages will be sent to the brain by the vestibular sense acting in coordination with sight and muscle sense — H.G.Armstrong
II. “, esp in pres part -səj verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
transitive verb
: to send as a message or by messenger
the commander … messaged “well done” to his pilots — Associated Press
the bill is messaged back to the house of origination, which house may then vote either to concur or nonconcur in the amendments — Rhoten Smith
: order or instruct by message
messaged the other PT to follow us into the attack — Dave Richardson
intransitive verb
: to communicate by message
after much messaging back and forth over the secret radio — Richard Thruelsen & Elliott Arnold