IM

See also: Appendix:Variations of "im" and 𒅎

Translingual

Etymology 1

Symbol

IM

(international standards) ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code for the Isle of Man since 2006.
Synonym: IMN (alpha-3)

Etymology 2

Alternative forms

CMXCIX, cmxcix

Number

IM

(proscribed, possibly nonstandard) Synonym of CMXCIX, the Roman numeral representing nine hundred and ninety-nine (999).

English

Noun

IM (countable and uncountable, plural IMs)

(computing) Initialism of information management.
(Internet) Initialism of instant message.
- 2010, Tim Collins, A Woman's Guide to Internet Dating, A Male Perspective, page 49:
  Have them meet you on your favorite messenger program. IMs provide a means of instant chat without waiting on someone to respond back to you.
(Internet) Initialism of instant messaging.
- 2007, Bill Daley, Computers Are Your Future, page 70:
  Another threat to the use of IM is a phenomenon known as spimming. Spimming is to IM as spam is to e-mail. Some aggressive spimmers learned how to take over one IMer's contact list — threatening a company's entire IM system!
- 2008 January–February, Chris Rodell, “Small talk, big results”, in Men's Health, volume 23, number 1, →ISSN, page 80:
  Sure, we may use cellphones and e-mail hundreds of times a week, but we say very little. […] Most of our talk, even in privileged IM circles, is no deeper than the words we exchange with the pizza guy.
(aviation) Initialism of inner marker.
(swimming) Initialism of individual medley.
- 2021 August 11, Joe Randleman, “Magnificent Meghan: Donald ready to defend state swimming titles for Ames High”, in Ames Tribune‎^[1]:
  "When I first joined ACAC (Ames Cyclones Aquatics Club), we were swimming together in a lane and I ended up going behind her," Hala said. "We were doing IM (individual medley) in warm-up and I was on her feet and I was like I'm an IMer, can I go ahead of you? She told me no."
(business) Initialism of information memorandum.
(business) Initialism of innovation management.
Initialism of idea management.
(countable, chess) Initialism of International Master.

Verb

IM (third-person singular simple present IMs, present participle IMing, simple past and past participle IMed)

Initialism of instant message (verb).
IM me when you get home.
- 2004, Rocki St. Claire, Hit Reply, New York, NY: Pocket Books, →ISBN, page 160:
  You won't pick up, you won't IM, you won't return my six (seven?) phone calls. So I'm resorting to email for this. First of all, don't get mad at Julie. She did the right thing. But, sweetie, why are you hiding this from the people who love you?
- 2010, Jeanne C. Meister, Karie Willyerd, The 2020 Workplace […] ‎^[2], Harper Collins, →ISBN:
  “WDYT,” she IM'd Sophie, wondering what her new friend thought of the idea. Sophie, sitting next to her, quickly IM'd back “G4I” to show her support.