tele·phone
ˈte-lə-ˌfōn 
plural telephones
: a device by which sound (such as speech) is converted into electrical impulses and transmitted (as by wire or radio waves) to one or more specific receivers (see receiver sense d(1)) : phone
The telephone rang.
We spoke by telephone.
a telephone call
: such as
a
: a telephone that operates by means of a landline
… an old-fashioned corded telephone. The kind that plugs right into the wall phone jack.—
Eliot Kleinberg
Eliot Kleinberg
b
: cell phone
In a day when most of us have a telephone in our back pocket … the need for a pay phone no longer exists.—Paul Connor
Paul Connor
telephoned; telephoning
: to communicate by telephone
telephoner
noun
Examples of telephone in a Sentence
Noun
I just have to make a quick telephone call before we leave.
You can order the cake over the telephone.
The telephone has been ringing all morning!
She picked up the telephone and dialed the number.
He slammed down the telephone.
They hired someone to answer the telephones.
All our telephones are cordless.
I left the telephone off the hook.
Verb
He telephoned me to say that he was going to be late.
He telephoned to say that he was going to be late.
You never write or telephone.
Recent Examples on the WebBrayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Apr. 2024
In the twentieth century, the growth of the middle class, suburbanization, and the advent of the newspaper restaurant review made telephone reservations the norm—until the Internet changed everything.
—Adam Iscoe, The New Yorker, 22 Apr. 2024
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin by telephone and said that Tehran’s strikes were limited and that the Islamic Republic was not interested in escalating, the Kremlin said.
—NBC News, 16 Apr. 2024
The court had previously authorized two telephone calls per month.
—Cara Tabachnick, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2024
Our polls are conducted by telephone, using live interviewers, in both English and Spanish.
—Ruth Igielnik, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2024
Also review your telephone and cell phone bills, the BBB said.
—Betty Lin-Fisher, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
Monitors showed aerial footage from surveillance drones, and various radios and landline telephones blinked in a corner.
—Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
There is the flaming red wig worn by Lucille Ball in Du Barry Was a Lady, the gate from Jane Russell’s childhood home, Jean Harlow’s bottle of Mitsouko perfume, jewelry worn by Carole Lombard, and Mae West’s personal telephone.
—Hadley Meares, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Apr. 2024
Mary Ilyushina, Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2024
Theft by false pretenses, conspiracy: Between 10:15 a.m. on Feb. 20 and 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 21, someone telephoned a Saratoga resident claiming to work at a tax company and defrauded the victim out of $5,900.
—Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2024
Roughly thirty minutes after that call ended, Dominique telephoned Sharma.
—Patrick Radden Keefe, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2024
Just an hour before the Hall of Fame announcement, Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio telephoned to increase their offer to first baseman Rhys Hoskins to two-year, $34 million deal.
—Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY, 28 Jan. 2024
When the party was over, Matthew, Rachelle, and Joe drove north, telephoning Zac on the way.
—Patrick Radden Keefe, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2024
Another who clashed with Mr. Wade was Brian F. McEvoy, a lawyer for Gov. Brian P. Kemp of Georgia, whom Mr. Trump had telephoned late in 2020 for help in overturning Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s win in the state.
—Richard Fausset, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2024
According to the lawsuit, Flores repeatedly telephoned them for six weeks and filled their answering machine with silent hang-up calls.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2024
Trump telephoned his adversary, and the two had a fiery back-and-forth.
—David Freedlander, The New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2023
Noun
Shoppers can buy tax-free items in a variety of ways, whether online, telephone orders or in stores.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Apr. 2024
In the twentieth century, the growth of the middle class, suburbanization, and the advent of the newspaper restaurant review made telephone reservations the norm—until the Internet changed everything.
—Adam Iscoe, The New Yorker, 22 Apr. 2024
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin by telephone and said that Tehran’s strikes were limited and that the Islamic Republic was not interested in escalating, the Kremlin said.
—NBC News, 16 Apr. 2024
The court had previously authorized two telephone calls per month.
—Cara Tabachnick, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2024
Our polls are conducted by telephone, using live interviewers, in both English and Spanish.
—Ruth Igielnik, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2024
Also review your telephone and cell phone bills, the BBB said.
—Betty Lin-Fisher, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
Monitors showed aerial footage from surveillance drones, and various radios and landline telephones blinked in a corner.
—Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
There is the flaming red wig worn by Lucille Ball in Du Barry Was a Lady, the gate from Jane Russell’s childhood home, Jean Harlow’s bottle of Mitsouko perfume, jewelry worn by Carole Lombard, and Mae West’s personal telephone.
—Hadley Meares, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Apr. 2024
Verb
Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon telephoned Putin on Sunday and distanced himself and his nation from the suspects.
—Mary Ilyushina, Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2024
Theft by false pretenses, conspiracy: Between 10:15 a.m. on Feb. 20 and 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 21, someone telephoned a Saratoga resident claiming to work at a tax company and defrauded the victim out of $5,900.
—Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2024
Roughly thirty minutes after that call ended, Dominique telephoned Sharma.
—Patrick Radden Keefe, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2024
Just an hour before the Hall of Fame announcement, Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio telephoned to increase their offer to first baseman Rhys Hoskins to two-year, $34 million deal.
—Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY, 28 Jan. 2024
When the party was over, Matthew, Rachelle, and Joe drove north, telephoning Zac on the way.
—Patrick Radden Keefe, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2024
Another who clashed with Mr. Wade was Brian F. McEvoy, a lawyer for Gov. Brian P. Kemp of Georgia, whom Mr. Trump had telephoned late in 2020 for help in overturning Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s win in the state.
—Richard Fausset, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2024
According to the lawsuit, Flores repeatedly telephoned them for six weeks and filled their answering machine with silent hang-up calls.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2024
Trump telephoned his adversary, and the two had a fiery back-and-forth.
—David Freedlander, The New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'telephone.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near telephone
Cite this Entry
“Telephone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/telephone. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
telephone
1 of 2 noun
tele·phone
ˈtel-ə-ˌfōn
: any of several devices for transmitting and receiving sounds over long distances by electricity
telephone
2 of 2 verb
telephoned; telephoning
1
: to communicate by telephone
2
: to send by telephone
3
: to speak to by telephone
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