voicemail
noun
voice·mail
ˈvȯis-ˌmāl 
variants
or less commonly voice mail
or voice-mail
plural voicemails also voice mails or voice-mails
1
: an electronic communication system in which spoken messages are recorded or digitized and stored for later playback by the intended recipient
left a message on the company's voicemail
let the call go to voicemail
I tried calling him twice but I only got his voicemail.
Most vehicles are equipped with hands-free technology for cellphones. However, hands-free does not mean distraction-free. Silence the unit while driving or set up an auto-response that sends calls directly to voicemail.—
Kevin Martin
Kevin Martina voice-mail system
voice-mail messages
2
a
: messages received through a voicemail system
checking her voicemail
b
: a voicemail message
listening to a voicemail
Examples of voicemail in a Sentence
Just leave a message on my voice mail.
I left her a voice mail.
You have two new voice mails.
Recent Examples on the Web
Leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823, or email us at LifeKit@npr.org.
—Malaka Gharib, NPR, 14 Mar. 2025
Special feature codes: Records showing when services like call forwarding, conference calls, or voicemail were used.
—Lars Daniel, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
Her grief came in the form of never learning to drive with her father, never hearing another bedtime story and only hearing his voice in videos and old voicemails the family kept.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2025
One day in 1985, a message on my voicemail from the president of Arista Records took me by surprise.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 5 Mar. 2025
Atlanta attorney Brian Hall of the law firm Smith Gambrell & Russell, the lead attorney for Silver in the Chapter 11 case, did not respond to a voicemail message seeking comment.
—David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2025
Micron did not immediately return a voicemail or email request for comment.
—Nick Rosenberger, Idaho Statesman, 6 Mar. 2025
In 2007, Baldwin left an angry voicemail for his oldest daughter, 29-year-old Ireland Baldwin, amid his bitter custody dispute with his first wife Kim Basinger.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2025
The union president did not return an email or voicemail.
—Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 25 Feb. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Malaka Gharib, NPR, 14 Mar. 2025
Special feature codes: Records showing when services like call forwarding, conference calls, or voicemail were used.
—Lars Daniel, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
Her grief came in the form of never learning to drive with her father, never hearing another bedtime story and only hearing his voice in videos and old voicemails the family kept.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2025
One day in 1985, a message on my voicemail from the president of Arista Records took me by surprise.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 5 Mar. 2025
Atlanta attorney Brian Hall of the law firm Smith Gambrell & Russell, the lead attorney for Silver in the Chapter 11 case, did not respond to a voicemail message seeking comment.
—David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2025
Micron did not immediately return a voicemail or email request for comment.
—Nick Rosenberger, Idaho Statesman, 6 Mar. 2025
In 2007, Baldwin left an angry voicemail for his oldest daughter, 29-year-old Ireland Baldwin, amid his bitter custody dispute with his first wife Kim Basinger.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2025
The union president did not return an email or voicemail.
—Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 25 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Voicemail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/voicemail. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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