telecommunication

Etymology

It is borrowed from French télécommunication,^[2][3][4] formed from télé- (“at a distance”) and communication.^[3] In its revision of 2016 the OED analyses it instead as formed in English from tele- and communication, probably after the French word, which is recorded from 1904 and in the plural by 1932;^[5] Merriam-Webster treats it as a word of International Scientific Vocabulary.^[6] The prefix comes from Ancient Greek τῆλε (têle, “far off, afar”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷel- (“far”).^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The sending of information over a distance by electrical signals: 1904, in J. A. Westmore's translation of E. Guarini, in the journal Electricity.^[5] Etymonline and Merriam-Webster date the word to 1932.^[2][6]

Semantic evolution

The plural telecommunications, for the systems, equipment and industry of long-distance communication, is recorded from 1932.^[5] The OED's definition has widened with the technology, from telegraph, telephone and radio to optical signals and the internet.^[5] A rare use for a single message sent in this way is recorded from 1962.^[5]

Timeline

• 1904 – the transmission of information over a distance by electrical signals.^[5] Etymonline dates the word to 1932.^[2]
• 1932 – plural, the systems and industry of such communication.^[5][6]
• 1962 – a message sent by telecommunication (rare).^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. Communication over a distance by cable, radio, telephone, television or similar means.^[7][6][5]
2. telecommunications (usually treated as singular): the science, technology or industry of such communication.^[6][4][5]
3. (rare) A message sent in this way.^[5]

Related words

• telegraph
• telephone
• communication
• tele-

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ a b Stevenson, Angus, ed. (2010), Oxford Dictionary of English, 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
6. ^ a b c d e Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
7. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins