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Definition of telethon

telethon

/ˈtɛl.ə.θɑːn/
tel · e · thon
Plural:telethons
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telethon Lexical Profile

telethon Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A very long television broadcast, typically lasting several hours or days, staged to raise money for a charitable, political, or public cause.

Example

"The annual holiday telethon raised over two million dollars for the children's hospital."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for telethon

• Nearby Words

teleshop
teleshopping
teletext
telethon
teletype
televangelism
televangelist

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in the late 1940s in American English as a blend of 'television' and 'marathon', originally describing a continuous multi-hour broadcast organized to raise funds for charity.

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Telethon. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/telethon
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