Telemachus

noun

Te·​lem·​a·​chus tə-ˈle-mə-kəs How to pronounce Telemachus (audio)
: the son of Odysseus and Penelope who contrives with his father to slay his mother's suitors

Examples of Telemachus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Dramatized by poet Simon Armitage, the production stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Telemachus. Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 24 June 2026 Holland portrays Telemachus, son to Matt Damon's Odysseus and Anne Hathaway's Penelope, in the new epic from Christopher Nolan. Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026 Telemachus doesn’t address Odysseus by the intimate word for father. Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 23 June 2026 Homeless, his body torn, Odysseus needs to get back to her and Telemachus, his anxious son, and to clean up the mess. David Denby, New Yorker, 21 June 2026 He's joined by Anne Hathaway as Odysseus' wife, Penelope, and Tom Holland as his son, Telemachus. Sharareh Drury, Entertainment Weekly, 2 June 2026 The 10-year journey is filled with interruptions and influence from the gods (not to mention a few cyclopes), as back home Penelope and Odysseus’s son, Telemachus, must contend with aggressive suitors who have sights set on the throne. Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 26 May 2026 Tom Holland is their son Telemachus and, in ideal casting, Zendaya is the goddess Athena. Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 24 May 2026 The film also stars (to name a few) Tom Holland as Telemachus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Robert Pattinson as Antinous, Lupita Nyong’o in the dual role of Helen of Troy and her sister Clytemnestra, Zendaya as Athena, and Charlize Theron as Calypso. Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 16 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek Tēlemachos

First Known Use

circa 1556, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Telemachus was circa 1556

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Cite this Entry

“Telemachus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Telemachus. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.

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