What does "telephone" mean?
A telecommunication device (originally mechanical, and now electronic) used for two-way talking with another person (now often shortened to phone).
Telephone
/ˈtɛl.ɪˌfəʊn/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A telecommunication device (originally mechanical, and now electronic) used for two-way talking with another person (now often shortened to phone).
- Grammar: telephone is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: call, call up, phone, phone.
- Useful contrasts: conceal report, hang up, interphone.
- Usage evidence: Could you dial for me? The telephone is too high.
How to use "telephone"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "telephone" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "telephone" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "telephone" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "telephone" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "telephone" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "call" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "telephone", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A telecommunication device (originally mechanical, and now electronic) used for two-way talking with another person (now often shortened to phone). countable
- 2 electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds wordnet
- 3 The receiver of such a device. countable, historical
- 4 transmitting speech at a distance wordnet
- 5 The game of Chinese whispers. Canada, US, uncountable
"And since the spring of 1995, no game of telephone has ended without some Simpsons-loving smart-ass dropping “purple monkey dishwasher” into the chain."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Chinese whispers; a situation in which an initial message has been distorted and misunderstood by being passed from person to person. Canada, US, figuratively, uncountable
"In other words, Jones' career and life may have been derailed because a game of telephone went bad."
Verb
- 1 To (attempt to) contact someone using a telephone. ambitransitive
"“I came down like a wolf on the fold, didn’t I ? Why didn’t I telephone ? Strategy, my dear boy, strategy. This is a surprise attack, and I’d no wish that the garrison, forewarned, should escape. …”"
- 2 get or try to get into communication (with someone) by telephone wordnet
- 3 To convey (a message) via telephone. transitive
"He telephoned what he knew to his chief[.]"
Antonyms
Example
"Could you dial for me? The telephone is too high."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "telephone"?
Common synonyms include: call, call up, phone, phone, ring, telephony.
How do you use "telephone" in a sentence?
Could you dial for me? The telephone is too high.
How do you pronounce "telephone"?
Pronounced /ˈtɛl.ɪˌfəʊn/.
Etymology
First used by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876 to refer to the modern instrument, but previous devices had been given this name, which was borrowed from French téléphone. Ultimately from Ancient Greek τῆλε (têle, “afar”) + φωνή (phōnḗ, “voice, sound”).