What does "hashtag" mean?
A metadata tag, signaled by a preceding hash sign (#), used to label content.
Hashtag
/ˈhæʃˌtæɡ/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A metadata tag, signaled by a preceding hash sign (#), used to label content.
- Grammar: hashtag is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: classify, crunch, hash, hashmark.
- Useful contrasts: plain text, unlabel, unlabeled content.
- Usage evidence: Social media has been sharing hashtag #coveryourmouth, admonishing people to use the crook of their arm, a handkerchief or a tissue to block the spew of aerosolized germs in public places.
How to use "hashtag"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "hashtag" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "hashtag" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "hashtag" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "hashtag" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "hashtag" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "classify" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "hashtag", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A metadata tag, signaled by a preceding hash sign (#), used to label content. Internet
"I support the hash tag convention: http://tinyurl.com/2qttlb #hashtag #factoryjoe #twitter"
- 2 metadata tag used on social network and microblogging services which makes it easier for users to find messages with a specific theme or content wordnet
- 3 The hash sign itself, especially when used as part of a hashtag. Internet, informal, metonymically
"I sound like a shitty mother and wife. Or at the very least an inadequate wife and ungrateful mother–which is in stark contrast to the image I try to portray on Instagram. Hashtag happy life. Hashtag beautiful family. Hashtag blessed."
Verb
- 1 To label (a message) with a hashtag. Internet, ambitransitive
"The photo-sharing site was riddled with fake accounts that liked, followed and hashtagged out the wazoo. Then came the great “Instagram Rapture,” Instagram’s pledge last December to clean out the fake accounts and do “everything possible to keep Instagram free from the fake and spammy accounts that plague much of the web.”"
Example
"Social media has been sharing hashtag #coveryourmouth, admonishing people to use the crook of their arm, a handkerchief or a tissue to block the spew of aerosolized germs in public places."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "hashtag"?
Common synonyms include: classify, crunch, hash, hashmark, label, mark.
How do you use "hashtag" in a sentence?
Social media has been sharing hashtag #coveryourmouth, admonishing people to use the crook of their arm, a handkerchief or a tissue to block the spew of aerosolized germs in public places.
How do you pronounce "hashtag"?
Pronounced /ˈhæʃˌtæɡ/.
Etymology
From earlier hash tag, from hash (sign) + tag. The hash sign # was initially proposed as tag hash by Chris Messina to create groups on Twitter, modeled after the IRC channel prefix. First published use as hash tag by Stowe Boyd in 2007.