# SMS

/ˌɛˌsɛˈmɛs/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/sms
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. a text message

noun · CEFR A2

Stands for Short Message Service. A text message sent from one mobile phone to another.

For teachers: Abbreviation for Short Message Service. A text message transmitted via a cellular network. Countable in this sense.

- I sent you an SMS this morning with the address of the restaurant.
- The bank sends an automated SMS to customers whenever a transaction exceeding a certain threshold is detected on their account.

### 3. safety management system

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical · Academic

Stands for Safety Management System. A formal way for a company to manage safety risks at work.

For teachers: Abbreviation for Safety Management System. A systematic approach to managing safety, including organisational structures, accountabilities, policies, and procedures.

- The airline updated its SMS to improve how they report small errors.
- The regulatory audit focused on the effectiveness of the company's SMS in identifying latent hazards before they resulted in operational incidents.

### 4. German naval prefix

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical · Archaic

Stands for Seiner Majestät Schiff. A title used for ships in the old German Imperial Navy, meaning 'His Majesty's Ship'.

For teachers: Abbreviation for Seiner Majestät Schiff. The ship prefix used by the Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine) until the end of World War I.

- The SMS Emden was a famous light cruiser during the First World War.
- Historians noted that the SMS Seydlitz survived heavy damage during the Battle of Jutland due to its superior internal compartmentalisation.

## Examples

- I sent an SMS to let him know I arrived safely.
- The bank sends an SMS with a one-time code whenever you try to log in from a new device.
- While instant messaging apps have become the primary mode of digital communication, the SMS remains a critical fallback for emergency alerts and two-factor authentication in areas with poor data coverage.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.