# voicemail

Pronunciation: say "VOYS-mayl" /ˈvɔɪsˌmeɪl/

## Noun

1. A single recorded message left for someone on a telephone messaging system.
   - Simple: A spoken message someone leaves for you when you do not answer your phone.
   - _His voicemail asked me to call the bank before noon._
   - _I deleted a dozen old voicemails to free up space on my phone._
2. A computerized system that stores and plays back spoken messages left by callers over a telephone network.
   - Simple: A phone service that records spoken messages for you when you cannot pick up.
   - _The office relies on voicemail to capture calls that come in overnight._
   - _Our carrier upgraded its voicemail so callers can record longer messages._

## Verb

3. To leave a recorded message for someone using a telephone messaging system.
   - Simple: To leave a spoken message for someone on their phone system.
   - _Just voicemail me the figures if I don't pick up._
   - _He voicemailed the whole team about the schedule change._

## Origin

Formed from "voice" plus "mail", originally a trademark that became a generic term.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/voicemail (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).