Meaning & use

telephone

noun·Everyday

A device used to transmit and receive spoken conversation over long distances.

See it in a sentence

She picked up the telephone as soon as it began to ring.

Before smartphones, most homes had only one shared telephone in the hallway.

A note on using this word

"Telephone" is somewhat formal; "phone" is the common everyday shortened term.

Words with a similar meaning

phone

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

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