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
Kevin Martina 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
Most of this isn’t spelled out in cinematics or open dialogue; it’s hidden on computer files scattered throughout the game, in voicemails, stuff that’s very easy to miss.
—Will Borger, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025
Anderson Cooper has listened to nearly 6,000 voicemails from people reaching out to him with stories of life-altering loss.
—Sarah Hutter, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
Genuine voicemail notifications typically include details like call duration, phone number, or extension.
—Ken Colburn, AZCentral.com, 26 Oct. 2025
Soon after, Kerr called his former boss and left a voicemail, admitting to the shooting.
—David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 26 Oct. 2025
Then, the host played a voicemail from the Sex and the City actress.
—Daniela Avila, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
In early spring, Christmas Fantasy House committee member Nikki Bruneau left Danny a voicemail.
—Angelika Ytuarte, jsonline.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Calls to the crew of the vessel went straight to voicemail, and cell phone pings could not give an accurate location.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 22 Oct. 2025
Their calls were sent straight to voicemail.
—Doha Madani, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Will Borger, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025
Anderson Cooper has listened to nearly 6,000 voicemails from people reaching out to him with stories of life-altering loss.
—Sarah Hutter, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
Genuine voicemail notifications typically include details like call duration, phone number, or extension.
—Ken Colburn, AZCentral.com, 26 Oct. 2025
Soon after, Kerr called his former boss and left a voicemail, admitting to the shooting.
—David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 26 Oct. 2025
Then, the host played a voicemail from the Sex and the City actress.
—Daniela Avila, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
In early spring, Christmas Fantasy House committee member Nikki Bruneau left Danny a voicemail.
—Angelika Ytuarte, jsonline.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Calls to the crew of the vessel went straight to voicemail, and cell phone pings could not give an accurate location.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 22 Oct. 2025
Their calls were sent straight to voicemail.
—Doha Madani, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Voicemail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/voicemail. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
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