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telemarketer

American  
[tel-uh-mahr-ki-ter] / ˈtɛl əˌmɑr kɪ tər /

noun

  1. a person who sells, advertises, or fund-raises through usually unsolicited telephone calls.

    How can I avoid being overwhelmed by telemarketers and marketing mail?


Etymology

Origin of telemarketer

telemarket(ing) ( def. ) + -er 1 ( def. )

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.

Other declines are still unfolding: Counter-clerk employment dropped by 30% between 2015 and 2023 as kiosks and then apps took over; telemarketer jobs fell 75% as the web provided new channels for outreach.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 22, 2025

A telltale click and tinny, faraway voice heralded the most dreaded of callers: a telemarketer.

From New York Times • Aug. 10, 2023

I hit decline, assuming it was a telemarketer, and never bothered to listen to the voicemail the caller left.

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2023

A telemarketer who was fired after refusing to keep his webcam on while working had his rights breached, a Dutch court has ruled.

From BBC • Oct. 11, 2022

I imagined Margaret’s end of the conversation, and I could guess that she sounded like a telemarketer giving details of the carpet-cleaning special of the week.

From "Silent To The Bone" by E.L. Konigsburg