Texting is something many of us do in our daily lives; it has become such a big part of communication that it’s hard to remember a time before it existed. As a result, texting has its own set of abbreviations and acronyms, and one of the most common is “TM.” So, what does TM mean in texting?
TM stands for “trademark.” It is used to designate something as the legally intellectual property or unique feature of a company or brand. This means that if someone else tries to use the same name or design, they could find themselves in a legal bind because the company would have the right to sue in order to protect their trademark.
In the context of texting, TM may be used to indicate that a phrase is the trademark of a specific brand or company. This is why you may see TM attached to corporate logos, taglines, mottos, and product names. For example, a fast food chain’s slogan may be “Tastefully Delicious TM.”
It’s important to note that the presence of TM in a phrase doesn’t necessarily indicate that the phrase is actually a trademark (some brands just like to use the symbol to make it clear that the phrase is associated with the brand). To find out if a phrase is a registered trademark, you can consult the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s database of federally registered trademarks.
In some cases, TM may also be used in reference to texting emoticons or emojis. For example, if someone types “:TM:” they may be using it to refer to a thumbs-up emoji.
All in all, TM in texting means “trademark,” and is typically used to indicate that a phrase is the legally protected property of a company or brand. It could also be used to refer to a specific emoji or emoticon.