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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The modern understanding of a public concession can be traced to 1896, when William Jennings Bryan sent opponent William McKinley a cordial telegram, NPR reports. Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 20 Nov. 2024 Kamala Harris seems to be tipping the scales in her favor as the presidential race heats up, and the founder of telegram, Russian Pavel Durove was arrested in France for not curtailing criminal business on the platform. Peter Green, Quartz, 1 Sep. 2024 Never bothered to call, to write, to send the odd telegram. EW.com, 1 Nov. 2024 His family had to wait almost two weeks before a telegram arrived, addressed to his mother. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near telegram

Cite this Entry

“Telegram.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/telegram. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

telegram

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

More from Merriam-Webster on telegram

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!