telethon

noun

tele·​thon ˈte-lə-ˌthän How to pronounce telethon (audio)
: a long television program usually to solicit funds especially for a charity

Examples of telethon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The telethon, which aired live on KTLA, was hosted by Yvette Nicole Brown and Tom Bergeron. Kirsten Chuba, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Dec. 2023 The Princess of Wales, 41, made a surprise appearance on BBC to open their annual Children in Need telethon. Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 17 Nov. 2023 Transport apparently being a particular preoccupation of this Jesus, last month, during a telethon fundraiser, Louisianan prosperity preacher Jesse Duplantis announced that his ministry purchased a $21 million jet. Elle Hardy, The New Republic, 23 Oct. 2023 Producer Entertainment Group, whose clients also include Trixie Mattel and Jinkx Monsoon, earlier this year produced the Drag Isn’t Dangerous telethon, which raised more than half a million dollars to fight anti-drag and anti-trans legislation. Degen Pener, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Nov. 2023 In the scene, Mikayla calls Hannah while sitting at a telethon and makes fun of her new single. Aimée Lutkin, ELLE, 9 Sep. 2023 Weber has been tapped to host the Project Angel Food telethon Lead with Love 4 presented by City National Bank and airing on KTLA 5 on June 24. Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 June 2023 Ukrainian officials do not expect to have F-16s this fall or winter, Yuri Ihnat, a spokesman for the Ukrainian air force, said during a telethon on Wednesday. Mikhail Klimentov, Washington Post, 16 Aug. 2023 Over the years, there were innumerable appearances on variety shows, talk shows, tributes and telethons, whole concerts. Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'telethon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

tele- + -athon

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of telethon was in 1949

Dictionary Entries Near telethon

Cite this Entry

“Telethon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/telethon. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

telethon

noun
tele·​thon ˈtel-ə-ˌthän How to pronounce telethon (audio)
: a long television program usually to raise funds for a charity
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