What Does ML Mean In Texting? (Explained!)

ML means “much love” in texting. It’s used usually as a quick but affectionate sign off for the ends of messages to loved ones. It’s an old abbreviation that’s been in use in texting and on social media for a long time. It can also mean a couple of other things, like “maybe later”.

ML is most commonly used for the end of text messages, and is like any number of similar sign off such s LY for “love you” and things of a similar nature.

On rare occasions, it may mean other things but in the majority of cases, this is what it will mean.

Let’s find out more.

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What does ML stand for in texting?

ML in texting stands for “much love”.

This is a common English expression used as a way of signing off all sorts of things, such as greetings cards or, of course, text messages.

It’s affectionate, but it’s also short, snappy, and more or less universally understood.

What we say over texts, especially that which we shorten into initialisms, has less impact than it would to someone’s face.

“ML” is meant to convey affection, certainly, but perhaps not as much as speaking that phrase to someone might have.

Example in a sentence: “I’ll be home soon. ML”

It’s a short way to end a message to ensure it doesn’t seem too cold or lacking emotion.

So, it’s not necessarily used in the same way in texting as you might use that phrase elsewhere.

It perhaps just has a bit less impact.

Again, this isn’t to say it’s lacking emotion entirely, it’s just that this may be used differently in different contexts.

The above example could be used between partners, for instance, but you could also use it for family members or even close friends.

Example in a sentence: “It was great to see you all tonight! ML”

It also doesn’t have to be used as a sign off, although this is how it is most commonly used by a long way.

It could be used just for convenience.

Example in a sentence: “Thanks for having me! ML to you all, I’ll visit again soon!”

Realistically, the only time I would suggest not using this is in professional conversations—you could really say this to any friend of any degree.

It can mean one or two other things, which I’ll get into later, but you can rest assured that this is almost certainly what it means.

What does ML mean in text?

ML is most commonly used for the end of text messages, and is like any number of similar sign off such s LY for “love you” and things of a similar nature.

On rare occasions, it may mean other things but in the majority of cases, this is what it will mean.

This is by far how it is most commonly used.

Where did ML come from in texting?

We don’t know exactly where this phrase comes from, as is usually the case with this sort of texting and internet slang.

We can’t pinpoint a person or date when it was coined.

However, we can see that it was already well in popular use by the early 2000s, so it most likely originated sometime in the 1990s.

At that time, when it came to texting, everyone was typing out their messages on alphanumeric keyboards.

This meant that people were always welcome to shortcuts and abbreviations that made the process of typing less laborious.

So, initialisms like this arose naturally, and everyone quickly began adopting them.

Understanding proliferated quickly and they were all very popular.

Despite them arising out of the need for quick ways to type on an alphanumeric keyboard, almost all texting abbreviations were adopted by the online world, too.

Chatrooms took up these terms and made them their own, and thus aided in their mass proliferation.

So, while we don’t know exactly where or when ML arose, it is a safe bet that it was part of the earliest drive towards this kind of slang.

Does it have any other meanings in modern settings, such as social media?

What does ML mean on TikTok?

ML usually means much love on TikTok, too, though it can have a couple of other meanings. I’ll cover those in a moment. If you see “ML” on TikTok, especially if you see it as a sign off, then this almost certainly still means much love.

There’s no need to be confused because you’re on a different site.

As I say, these abbreviations are very old, but their utility is so clear that they’ve survived to the modern internet age in their same old meaning.

But what else can they mean?

What else does ML mean?

ML can mean a few other things.

One of the ways people sometimes use the phrase is to mean “maybe later”.

It’s a way of putting something off without outright saying you don’t want to do it. “Shall we go to the store now?” “ML, I’m tired,” for example.

Some people on TikTok use the term to mean “money line”.

This is to do with “hustle culture” and is about loans and finances.

Not the most exciting of this term’s meanings!

Similarly to its original meaning, it can also sometimes be taken to mean “my love”. This is not very common, though.

Other than that, it may mean “more later” or “more lies” although, again, these are vanishingly rare compared to simply “much love”.

So, ML has one very common use, and a couple that are far less common.

In most cases, it should be quite clear from context which of these options the person is using.

Nevertheless, it’s always worth being sure! Internet slang can be a slippery thing, and it’s constantly changing.

More in Texting Meanings

Founder - @PollyWebster

Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.

Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.

Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.

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