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

But is any of that enough when a Western Union telegram brings news of Aron’s death, killed in a battle in France? — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026

The program ran from 1947 to the mid-1970s, and during that time as many as 150,000 telegrams a month were being read. — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Aug. 2026

The garment was a gift for Anna Carter, who runs a digital telegram company along with her husband, former Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter. — Jay Stahl, USA Today, 25 July 2026

This particular drama began on May 23, 1912, when a telegram arrived on the desk of one Walter Burley Griffin in Chicago. — Natalie Hoberman, Forbes.com, 18 July 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