1
: the science or process of telemetering data
2
: data transmitted by telemetry
3

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Telemetry is used to obtain data on the internal functioning of missiles, rockets, unmanned planes, satellites, and probes, providing data on such factors as position, altitude, and speed as well as conditions like temperature, air pressure, wind speed, and radiation. Weather forecasters rely on telemetry to map weather patterns. Astronauts on the space shuttle are monitored with telemetry that measures and transmits readings on their blood pressure, respiration, and heart rates. Similar kinds of telemetry are used by biologists to study animals in the wild and keep track of their populations and movements. Telemetry is also widely used in modern agriculture, often to regulate irrigation.

Examples of telemetry 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.
Trying to solve that riddle is the goal of a telemetry study that is fitting walleye with transmitters in hopes of tracking their movements in the lake. Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 14 July 2026 An autonomous logistics platform may need to exchange live telemetry between factories, vehicles, weather systems, inventory databases and financial software simultaneously. Ivo Ivanov, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026 Mezmo’s active telemetry pipeline (with an upcoming data layer called PRISM) curates information into structured formats suited for AI. Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 8 July 2026 Lowe and his students have spent 15 years tracking juvenile white sharks in Southern California waters using acoustic and satellite telemetry. Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for telemetry

Word History

First Known Use

1865, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of telemetry was in 1865

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Cite this Entry

“Telemetry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/telemetry. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

telemetry

noun
1
: the process of transmitting data by telemeter
2
: data transmitted by telemetry

Medical Definition

telemetry

noun
plural telemetries
1
: the science or process of telemetering data
2
: data transmitted by telemetry
3

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