What does spam mean?
Spam denotes unwanted messages or content, particularly bulk electronic mail, advertisements, and posts that recipients did not request. In modern usage it usually has a negative connotation: spam is intrusive, repetitive, irrelevant, or unsolicited, and it is often treated as a nuisance rather than as legitimate communication. The word is also used as a verb, as in a sentence describing someone who repeatedly sends unwanted promotions or posts the same material online. Although spam most often refers to electronic material, people may describe any excessive and unwelcome content as spam. Spam is not necessarily a scam, because it need not involve deception; its defining feature is that it is unwanted and sent without the recipient's consent. The term became especially prominent as email and online forums expanded, but its history reaches back to an earlier period of mass communication and unwanted advertising.
Unsolicited messages or content, especially bulk email or advertising that the recipient did not request.
"A new spam filter reduced the amount of unwanted mail reaching her inbox."
Usually uncountable when referring to the phenomenon or category as a whole, though singular and plural countable uses referring to individual messages also occur.
To send unsolicited messages or repeatedly post unwanted promotional content.
"Several automated accounts spammed the discussion with advertisements."
Often used for persistent, excessive, or indiscriminate posting, even when the messages are not technically sent by electronic mail.
The countable plural is used for individual unwanted messages or separate instances of unwanted content; the uncountable form is more common for spam as a category.
"The inbox contained dozens of spams offering dubious prizes."
The word spam was used for unwanted bulk messages long before email became widespread, making it one of the internet's earliest examples of terminology aging faster than the technology behind it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does spam come from?
The electronic sense developed from an earlier English use of spam for repetitive, bulk promotional material and became prominent before and during the rapid growth of email in the 1990s. The word is an English formation with no widely established cognates in other languages; its connection with canned meat is part of the word's history but is not the origin of the modern electronic meaning.
Related word forms
How spam is actually used
The word is strongly associated with the internet and electronic communication but can be extended to any excessive, unwanted, or repetitive content. It often conveys annoyance and low quality, although spam is not necessarily malicious or fraudulent. Countable singular uses referring to individual messages are common.
Easily confused with spam
Spam is unwanted bulk content, whereas a scam is a deceptive scheme intended to deceive someone, often for financial gain.