Standard Lemma guide

intercom

noun · verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: IH1 N T ER0 K AA2 M Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An independent, telephonic communication system, set up around and throughout a building, complex, or residence, typically for access control.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • emergency intercom
  • talk on the intercom

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To communicate (with) by intercom.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: ambitransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a communication system linking different rooms within a building or ship etc

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: intercommunication system

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: communication system

Narrower terms: interphone

History

Etymology

Clipping of intercommunicator.

Across languages

Translations

43 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: interkom — an electronic communication system
  • Catalan: intèrfon — an electronic communication system
  • Catalan: intercomunicador — an electronic communication system
  • Chinese Mandarin: 對講機 /对讲机 (duìjiǎngjī) — an electronic communication system
  • Danish: samtaleanlæg — an electronic communication system
  • Danish: dørtelefon — an electronic communication system
  • Esperanto: pordotelefono — an electronic communication system
  • Finnish: sisäpuhelin — an electronic communication system
  • French: interphone — an electronic communication system
  • French: portier électronique — an electronic communication system
  • French: parlophone — an electronic communication system
  • Galician: porteiro automático — an electronic communication system
  • Georgian: ინტერკომი (inṭerḳomi) — an electronic communication system
  • Georgian: ორმხრივი კავშირი (ormxrivi ḳavširi) — an electronic communication system
  • Georgian: ორმხრივი შიდა კავშირი (ormxrivi šida ḳavširi) — an electronic communication system
  • German: Gegensprechanlage — an electronic communication system
  • German: Sprechanlage — an electronic communication system
  • Greek: θυροτηλέφωνο (thyrotiléfono) — an electronic communication system
  • Hungarian: (doorphone, entryphone) kaputelefon — an electronic communication system
  • Hungarian: kapucsengő — an electronic communication system
  • Hungarian: belső telefon/-hálózat — an electronic communication system
  • Hungarian: házi telefon/-hálózat — an electronic communication system
  • Indonesian: interkom — an electronic communication system
  • Italian: citofono — an electronic communication system
  • Japanese: インターホン (intāhon) — an electronic communication system
  • Japanese: インカム (inkamu) — an electronic communication system
  • Japanese: インターカム (intākamu) — an electronic communication system
  • Korean: 인터폰 (inteopon) — an electronic communication system
  • Polish: domofon (entryphone) — an electronic communication system
  • Portuguese: interfone — an electronic communication system
  • Russian: интерко́м (intɛrkóm) — an electronic communication system
  • Russian: систе́ма двусторо́нней свя́зи (sistéma dvustorónnej svjázi) — an electronic communication system
  • Russian: перегово́рное устро́йство (peregovórnoje ustrójstvo) — an electronic communication system
  • Russian: домофо́н (domofón) — an electronic communication system
  • Russian: вну́тренняя связь (vnútrennjaja svjazʹ) — an electronic communication system
  • Spanish: portero automático — an electronic communication system
  • Spanish: telefonillo — an electronic communication system
  • Spanish: citófono — an electronic communication system
  • Spanish: intercom — an electronic communication system
  • Spanish: interfono — an electronic communication system
  • Swedish: porttelefon — an electronic communication system
  • Turkish: interkom — an electronic communication system
  • Ukrainian: домофо́н (domofón) — an electronic communication system