voicemail

noun

voice·​mail ˈvȯis-ˌmāl 

variants or less commonly voice mail or voice-mail

plural voicemails also voice mails or voice-mails

1

: an electronic communication system in which spoken messages are recorded or digitized and stored for later playback by the intended recipient

left a message on the company's voicemail

let the call go to voicemail

I tried calling him twice but I only got his voicemail.

Most vehicles are equipped with hands-free technology for cellphones. However, hands-free does not mean distraction-free. Silence the unit while driving or set up an auto-response that sends calls directly to voicemail.

—Kevin Martin

a voice-mail system

voice-mail messages

2

a

: messages received through a voicemail system

checking her voicemail

b

: a voicemail message

listening to a voicemail

Examples of voicemail in a Sentence

Just leave a message on my voice mail.

I left her a voice mail.

You have two new voice mails.

Recent Examples on the Web

Harris had tried unsuccessfully to reach Vance by phone on Monday — and left a voicemail — shortly after he was named Trump’s vice-presidential nominee. —Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 17 July 2024

The Apology Line In the early 1980s, a phone number papers New York City’s streets, allowing strangers to spill their secrets via voicemail. —Clarissa Schmidt, Vogue, 17 July 2024

Harris left Vance a voicemail Monday night, congratulating him and encouraging him to accept an August 13th Vice Presidential debate, NBC previously reported. —Josephine Rozzelle,rebecca Picciotto,dan Mangan,kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 16 July 2024

The owner of the plane, Paul Sanchez, owner of Sanchez Aviation Training Services in Boca Raton, did not return a voicemail or text message Thursday. —Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 11 July 2024

The video opens with Kenia leaving an angry voicemail to one of her exes before embracing her inner goddess as Antillano crashes the party while riding a bright pink train. —Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 11 July 2024

For the new album, Heems and Vashi wove in voicemails from No Doubt’s Tony Kanal, Indian film director Zoya Akhtar, Swet Shop Boys’ Riz Ahmed, and more. —Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 26 June 2024

Brian Young, executive director of The Cumberland Rest, did not respond to a voicemail seeking comment. —Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 July 2024

Leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823, or email us at [e-mail]. —Life Kit, NPR, 27 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1980, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

voice mail

noun

: an electronic communication system in which spoken messages are recorded for later playback to the intended recipient

also : such a message