teleconferencing

IPA/ˈtelikɒnfrənsɪŋ/
KK[tˌɛləkˈɑnfrənsɪŋ]IPA/ˈtelikɑːnfrənsɪŋ/

teleconferencing — noun

1. working together through phones, computers, or video links to hold discussions,

1.nounB2
Definition

working together through phones, computers, or video links to hold discussions, even when people are far apart

Example

Since the pandemic, many companies have relied on teleconferencing for team meetings and client calls.

relied on teleconferencing for [purpose] — typical preposition and verb collocation

Nadia set up a teleconferencing system in her home office for daily stand-up meetings.

teleconferencing system — common noun-noun compound

Common collocations
  • teleconferencing software
  • teleconferencing equipment
  • teleconferencing system
  • teleconferencing platform
  • teleconferencing technology
  • teleconferencing tool
  • teleconferencing facility
  • teleconferencing call
Synonyms
  • videoconferencing

    specifically refers to meetings with video, not just audio

  • remote meetings

    less technical; refers to individual events rather than the general practice

  • virtual meetings

    broader — includes any online gathering, not necessarily work-related

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

teleconferencing + noun (equipment, software, facility)

use/rely on + teleconferencing

Usage Note

Uncountable noun — 'teleconferencing' refers to the general activity, not a single event. For one instance of a remote meeting, use the countable noun 'teleconference' (e.g. We had a teleconference with the Tokyo office). Frequently appears as a modifier before nouns (teleconferencing software, teleconferencing equipment).

Common Mistakes

I have a teleconferencing at 3pm.
I have a teleconference at 3pm.
Teleconferencing is the general activity, not a single meeting.

Word family

  • teleconference
    nounB2
  • teleconference
    verbB2
  • videoconferencing
    nounB2
  • videoconference
    nounB2
  • videoconference
    verbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Teleconferencing is the broadest of these terms, covering any meeting held via telecommunications technology — phone-only calls, video calls, or web-based collaboration. Videoconferencing is a subset that always includes a video feed; it is more specific and often implies face-to-face interaction via a screen. Virtual meetings is a newer, broader term that includes any meeting held in an online space, from a simple chat room to a 3D virtual environment, and is often used in casual workplace language. Remote meetings focuses on the geography of participants (not in the same location) rather than the technology. In practice, a company might say 'we use teleconferencing for weekly check-ins' to mean audio or video calls, while 'let's switch to videoconferencing' suggests turning on cameras for a clearer discussion.

teleconferencing ↗videoconferencingvirtual meetingsremote meetings

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • rely on teleconferencing
  • use teleconferencing for
  • set up teleconferencing
  • upgrade teleconferencing

Etymology

GreekLatinEnglish

Formed from the prefix 'tele-' (from Greek tēle, meaning 'far off' or 'at a distance') combined with 'conferencing' (from Latin conferre, 'to bring together'). The term entered business usage in the 1970s as telephone conference calls became a practical alternative to in-person meetings. It gained much wider use in the 1990s with the rise of internet-based communication tools and expanded dramatically during the 2020 global pandemic when remote work became the norm for millions of people.

First known use

1963

1963, in the meaning defined above