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

transitive verb

: telegraph

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 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 In April Hood County Commissioner Nannette Samuelson accused Coffman and other officials of misleading the public about plans for a power plant and data center, according to previous Star-telegram reporting. — Mary Ella Hastings july 7, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2026 One morning this past spring, Bielawski delivered a singing telegram to a woman getting off the graveyard shift at a Waffle House. — Bob Herman, STAT, 7 July 2026 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

Rhymes for telegram

See All Rhymes for telegram

Browse Nearby Words

telegony
telegram
telegrammatic
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Telegram.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/telegram. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

telegram

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

More from Merriam-Webster on telegram

Nglish: Translation of telegram for Spanish Speakers

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