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
Screening can include letting a call go to voicemail, and then researching any message left.
—
Ella Moore
july 2,
Miami Herald,
2 July 2026
The phone number on the card matched the number that had left the two voicemails on Streever's phone.
—
Jude Joffe-Block,
NPR,
1 July 2026
Now, neighbors and friends are re-listening to past voicemails and sharing photos to remember Delima.
—
Joy Benedict,
CBS News,
30 June 2026
Backstage in the green room, Nicky’s ghost is screaming and scrawling something on a mirror with his bloody stump while Lestat is also screaming into Gabrielle’s voicemail.
—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
29 June 2026
Johnston did not immediately return a call and voicemail from The Star on Monday afternoon.
—
Sofi Zeman,
Kansas City Star,
29 June 2026
Deutch’s Jill leaves voicemails for her dead sister as a way of coping with the loss, but when the number is reassigned, connects with Robinson’s Austin who begins receiving the messages instead.
—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2026
Jill processes the loss by leaving voicemails for her sister, updating her about her life.
—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
25 June 2026
The story is constructed around a love connection made when candid voicemails sent by a grieving San Francisco prep cook wind up in the ear of the wrong person — a cute guy in Austin.
—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
24 June 2026
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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Ella Moore
july 2,
Miami Herald,
2 July 2026
The phone number on the card matched the number that had left the two voicemails on Streever's phone.
—
Jude Joffe-Block,
NPR,
1 July 2026
Now, neighbors and friends are re-listening to past voicemails and sharing photos to remember Delima.
—
Joy Benedict,
CBS News,
30 June 2026
Backstage in the green room, Nicky’s ghost is screaming and scrawling something on a mirror with his bloody stump while Lestat is also screaming into Gabrielle’s voicemail.
—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
29 June 2026
Johnston did not immediately return a call and voicemail from The Star on Monday afternoon.
—
Sofi Zeman,
Kansas City Star,
29 June 2026
Deutch’s Jill leaves voicemails for her dead sister as a way of coping with the loss, but when the number is reassigned, connects with Robinson’s Austin who begins receiving the messages instead.
—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2026
Jill processes the loss by leaving voicemails for her sister, updating her about her life.
—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
25 June 2026
The story is constructed around a love connection made when candid voicemails sent by a grieving San Francisco prep cook wind up in the ear of the wrong person — a cute guy in Austin.
—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
24 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Voicemail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/voicemail. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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