What does telly mean?
Telly is an informal British word for television. It can refer to the medium as a whole, as in "What's on the telly?", or to an individual television set, as in "They bought a new telly." The expression is characteristic of everyday British and Irish speech and is also understood in several Commonwealth varieties, though it is not the usual term in American English. Its familiarity gives it a warm, conversational quality that the more formal word television does not necessarily have. Although television is the standard general term, telly remains common in descriptions of watching programmes, discussing broadcasts, and referring to the physical set. The word is especially associated with the period when television became a regular feature of domestic life, while retaining its place in contemporary usage. For speakers seeking a natural British alternative to television, telly is both idiomatic and immediately understandable.
nounTelevision, especially as a medium or activity. In British usage, it can also mean a television set.
- Television as a medium or activity.
- A television set.
"They spent the evening watching a quiz show on the telly."
"There is a documentary about the history of broadcasting on the telly tonight."
"We bought a second telly for the bedroom."
Tellies is the usual plural when referring to multiple television sets; when referring to television as a medium, telly is normally used as an uncountable noun.
"The shop sells tellies, DVD players, and satellite receivers."
Telly is essentially television compressed into a distinctly British and wonderfully conversational word.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does telly come from?
Telly is an English shortening of television, formed with the familiar suffix -y and associated particularly with British usage. It developed during the early decades of television broadcasting as the medium became established in everyday life. It belongs to a family of words based on the Greek prefix tele-, meaning "far," and Latin vision, meaning "sight," including television and forms such as televise.
How telly is actually used
Telly is informal and especially associated with British speech. It is commonly used with the definite article when referring to television in general, as in "on the telly," while a telly usually means an individual television set.
Easily confused with telly
Telly means television or a television set, whereas a tally is a record of a count, score, or amount.