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Synonyms

telegram

American  
[tel-i-gram] / ˈtɛl ɪˌgræm /

noun

  1. a message or communication sent by telegraph; a telegraphic dispatch.

verb (used with or without object)

telegrammed, telegramming

  1. to telegraph.

telegram British  
/ ˈtɛlɪˌɡræm, ˌtɛlɪɡrəˈmætɪk /

noun

  1. a communication transmitted by telegraph See also cable Telemessage

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • telegrammatic adjective
  • telegrammic adjective

Etymology

Origin of telegram

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55; tele- 1 + -gram 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Letters, gifts, or telegrams arrived almost every day.

From Literature

Nodding his head, Grandpa said, “If they get that telegram tonight, I don’t think they’ll fool around. From what they told me, those monkeys are really valuable to that circus.”

From Literature

The papers also reveal Downing Street was forced to apologise after then-Prime Minister John Major's birthday telegram to the Queen Mother in 1994 was addressed in an "improper manner".

From BBC

There had been no letters, no telegrams, and not a single picture postcard.

From Literature

After picking up the note, the messenger cycled around town, picking up other telegrams, before returning to the office.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.