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
Sardinha’s best friend, who received the voicemail that captured part of the killing, told the judge that her friend’s screams still haunt her.
—Sean Emery, Oc Register, 25 July 2025
Newsweek reached out to the company via phone Wednesday for comment and left a voicemail.
—Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
The only connection to your job was a voicemail message and maybe a fax machine.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
Bonner Springs-Edwardsville Unified School District as of publication time did not respond to previous phone calls or voicemails seeking input.
—Kansas City Star, 22 July 2025
The recipients of the scam messages, which were sent by text, Signal and voicemail, were not identified in the cable, a copy of which was shared with the Associated Press.
—Matthew Lee, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025
Hart's attorney has not yet responded to a voicemail from The Enquirer seeking comment about his plea.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
In mid-June the imposter contacted the ministers, a U.S. governor and a member of Congress via the Signal messaging app and left voicemails for at least two of them.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 11 July 2025
The Star-Telegram left voicemails with members of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Kills and Spills Team, which investigates the effects of pollution incidents, but did not immediately get a response.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 July 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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Sean Emery, Oc Register, 25 July 2025
Newsweek reached out to the company via phone Wednesday for comment and left a voicemail.
—Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
The only connection to your job was a voicemail message and maybe a fax machine.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
Bonner Springs-Edwardsville Unified School District as of publication time did not respond to previous phone calls or voicemails seeking input.
—Kansas City Star, 22 July 2025
The recipients of the scam messages, which were sent by text, Signal and voicemail, were not identified in the cable, a copy of which was shared with the Associated Press.
—Matthew Lee, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025
Hart's attorney has not yet responded to a voicemail from The Enquirer seeking comment about his plea.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
In mid-June the imposter contacted the ministers, a U.S. governor and a member of Congress via the Signal messaging app and left voicemails for at least two of them.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 11 July 2025
The Star-Telegram left voicemails with members of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Kills and Spills Team, which investigates the effects of pollution incidents, but did not immediately get a response.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Voicemail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/voicemail. Accessed 2 Aug. 2025.
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