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
By World War I and through the Vietnam War, the military was sending telegrams, until an Army wife named Julia Moore (known as Julie) stepped in. Elaine Quijano, CBS News, 25 May 2025 The custom dates back to 1917 when King George V began sending telegrams to centenarians. Meredith Kile, People.com, 1 May 2025 On hearing news of his accolade via a telegram, Berwanger didn’t quite know what to make of it. Don Riddell, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2025 The Ukrainian telegram channel Exilenova+ reported drones attacked the Kubinka military airfield which hosts Sukhoi Su-27 and Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter jets. Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 May 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

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Cite this Entry

“Telegram.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/telegram. Accessed 6 Jun. 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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