telegram

1 of 2

noun

tele·​gram ˈte-lə-ˌgram How to pronounce telegram (audio)
 Southern also  -grəm
: a telegraphic dispatch

telegram

2 of 2

verb

tele·​gram ˈte-lə-ˌgram How to pronounce telegram (audio)
telegrammed; telegramming

Examples of telegram in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Though much of Saving Private Ryan is fictionalized, like Fritz, Private Ryan had three brothers fighting in World War II, and his mother received telegrams about her sons all around the same time. Emily Krauser, People.com, 24 July 2025 The Courier Journal sent a telegram to Clarkson at once. Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025 The Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice will launch a digital archive this fall featuring articles, photos, videos, telegrams, speeches and more tied to Rustin’s work. Jaylen Green, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025 Citations abound of unpublished archival sources—mounds of letters, diaries, telegrams—and exclusive interviews. Eric Bulson, The Atlantic, 16 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for telegram

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1852, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1860, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of telegram was circa 1852

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Telegram.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/telegram. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

telegram

noun
tele·​gram
ˈtel-ə-ˌgram,
 Southern also  -grəm
: a message sent by telegraph

More from Merriam-Webster on telegram

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