radiotelephone

1 of 2

noun (1)

ra·​dio·​tele·​phone ˌrā-dē-ō-ˈte-lə-ˌfōn How to pronounce radiotelephone (audio)
: an apparatus for carrying on wireless telephony by radio waves
radiotelephony
ˌrā-dē-ō-tə-ˈle-fə-nē How to pronounce radiotelephone (audio)
-ˈte-lə-ˌfō-nē
noun

radiotelephony

2 of 2

noun (2)

ra·​dio·​te·​le·​pho·​ny ¦rā-dē-ō-tə-¦le-fə-nē How to pronounce radiotelephony (audio)
: telephony carried on by the aid of radio waves without connecting wires

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

International Scientific Vocabulary

Noun (2)

International Scientific Vocabulary radio- + telephony

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1904, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of radiotelephone was in 1904

Rhymes for radiotelephone

See All Rhymes for radiotelephone

Browse Nearby Words

radiotelemetry
radiotelephone
radiotelephony
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Radiotelephone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/radiotelephone. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

radiotelephone

noun
ra·​dio·​tele·​phone ˌrād-ē-ō-ˈtel-ə-ˌfōn How to pronounce radiotelephone (audio)
: a telephone that uses radio waves wholly or partly instead of connecting wires
radiotelephony
-tə-ˈlef-ə-nē How to pronounce radiotelephone (audio)
-ˈtel-ə-ˌfō-nē
noun
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