voicemail

noun

voice·​mail ˈvȯis-ˌmāl How to pronounce voicemail (audio)
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
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.
The seven claimants – who include Elton John's husband David Furnish – accuse Associated Newspapers of activities such as hacking their voicemails, burglary, and obtaining their medical records by deception. Michael Holden, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025 Graphic voicemails were later uncovered by police and read out in court today, which Viccars had sent to the girl. Tom Burrows, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025 Elizabeth Warren, who’s from Oklahoma, left me a voicemail the other day congratulating us on our 1 million YouTube subscribers. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2025 The Free Press also left a voicemail at Kohan's office. Jc Reindl, Freep.com, 26 Sep. 2025 By Sunday, the Elkhorn Area School District had gotten 800 voicemails, not including calls directly to the school. Mary Spicuzza, jsonline.com, 25 Sep. 2025 On Thursday, a sheriff’s office spokesman referred questions to ICE and did not respond to a voicemail seeking more information. Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 19 Sep. 2025 Jeremy Fistel, 44, allegedly threatened Mamdani in voicemail and written messages in June and July, according to officials. Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 18 Sep. 2025 What To Know According to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, Jeremy Fistel was indicted on charges of making a terroristic threat as a hate crime, along with additional related crimes for voicemail and written messages to Mamdani. Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1980, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of voicemail was in 1980

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Cite this Entry

“Voicemail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/voicemail. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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