telegram

1 of 2

noun

tele·​gram ˈte-lə-ˌgram 

Southern also -grəm

: a telegraphic dispatch

telegram

2 of 2

verb

tele·​gram ˈte-lə-ˌgram 

telegrammed; telegramming

transitive verb

: telegraph

Examples of telegram in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

To stay in touch, people exchanged letters, postcards, and telegrams. — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 28 Oct. 2026

Louella sent Hedda a congratulatory telegram when her first radio broadcast went national. — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 27 Oct. 2026

Those copious field reports, sworn affidavits, and telegrams signed, alarmingly, HOOVER, would fascinate, enrage, and unmoor me. — Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026

In the finale, before Lee and Adam learn Aron has been killed in action in World War I, Lee is flipping through a seed catalogue, Adam is planting something, and then the telegram arrives and the two of you share this look. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1852, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1860, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for telegram

• abraham
• anagram
• cablegram
• cofferdam
• dendrogram
• diagram
• diaphragm
• epigram
• hexagram
• histogram
• hologram
• instagram

Kids Definition

telegram

noun

tele·​gram

ˈtel-ə-ˌgram

Southern also -grəm

: a message sent by telegraph