What does videophone mean?
A videophone is a communications device that combines the functions of a telephone with the transmission of moving images. In a videophone conversation, participants could hear one another while also seeing the other person, distinguishing the device from an ordinary telephone and from modern applications used for video calls. The term became associated with experimental and institutional systems, some of which required large terminals, specialized cameras, monitors, and substantial processing power. Although videophones are no longer the usual name for consumer products built on smartphones, webcams, and cloud-based conferencing services, the word remains useful for describing earlier generations of real-time visual communication. Its formation clearly joins the Latin root video, meaning “I see,” with telephone, ultimately associated with the Greek word for sound or voice. The compound captures the central technological ambition of the videophone: to extend conversation beyond voice alone and make remote communication feel more immediate and visually interactive.
nounA telephone or similar communications device that transmits moving images as well as sound, allowing participants to see as well as hear one another.
- A telephone or communications device that carries live moving images in addition to sound.
"The company installed a videophone in its conference room so executives could speak with colleagues overseas face to face."
"Early corporate offices used bulky videophones for meetings with distant branches."
"In the historical novel, the ambassador began the videophone call while officials waited for the scrambled image to appear."
The regular plural is used when referring to multiple devices or distinct systems.
"The laboratory tested several videophones before selecting one for the remote medical consultation program."
Imagine hearing a voice and watching the speaker's face arrive together—that was the promise of the videophone.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of videophone
Videophone was formed in the 20th century by combining video with telephone or the shortened form phone, during the development of systems for transmitting pictures over telephone networks. Its first element derives from Latin videō, “I see,” while the second ultimately comes from Greek phōnē, meaning “sound” or “voice,” through French téléphone. The compound is closely associated with the history of picture telephone and videoconferencing technology.
How videophone is actually used
The word is now largely historical or technical. In contemporary English, video call, videoconferencing, and video calling are more common when referring to real-time visual communication.
Easily confused with videophone
Videophone is the closed compound traditionally used for a video telephone, while video phone is the more familiar modern open-compound spelling of the same device.