Noun

message (plural messages)

1. Any concept or information conveyed by the use of (usually written) symbols.
2. (Can we verify this sense?) (informal, Irish, Scottish and Northern England, always plural) groceries, shopping

Abbreviations

• msg

A message in its most general meaning is an object of communication. It is a vessel which provides information. Yet, it can also be this information. Therefore, its meaning is dependent upon the context in which it is used; the term may apply to both the information and its form. A communiqué is a brief report or statement released by a public agency.

In communications science

More precisely, in communications science, a message is information which is sent from a source to a receiver. Some common definitions include:

• Any thought or idea expressed in a language, prepared in a form suitable for transmission by any means of communication.
• An arbitrary amount of information whose beginning and end are defined or implied.

In communication between humans, messages can be verbal or nonverbal:

• A verbal message is an exchange of information using words. Examples include face-to-face communication, telephone calls, voicemails, etc.
• A nonverbal message is communicated through actions or behaviors rather than words. Examples include the use of body language and the actions made by an individual idea.