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
And there was a very particular shot with the postman, who's bringing the telegram, and that was very specifically Brasilia. Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Feb. 2026 In June of 1944, after a year in the army, Waterfield got a Western Union telegram from Charles Walsh, the general manager of the NFL's Cleveland Rams. CBS News, 8 Feb. 2026 However the telegram could not be decoded because there was an issue finding the keys to the safe where the codebook was kept. Hope Coke, Vanity Fair, 7 Feb. 2026 After years without a mail service, without telegrams, without a single face peeking through the dirty windows of the railroad carriages, heaps of people are there again. Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026 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 15 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

telegram

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

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