cell phone

noun

variants or less commonly cellphone
ˈsel-ˌfōn How to pronounce cell phone (audio)
plural cell phones also cellphones
: a portable usually cordless telephone for use in a cellular system

Examples of cell phone in a Sentence

Call me on my cell phone.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
One neighbor shared cell phone video of more than a dozen e-bikes parking in front her home. — Michele Gile, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026 Residents can also use their cell phone to text for assistance by texting IN211HELP to 898-211. — Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 Personal cell phone information was not provided for nearly 620 of those employees and personal email addresses weren’t listed for 115 staffers. — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026 But more recently, cell phone videos taken by audience members at Knight performances, including one from a July 25 Hollywood Bowl concert, show the singer wandering the stage, her back to the audience and seeming to miss singing cues. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cell phone

Word History

First Known Use

1983, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cell phone was in 1983

Rhymes for cell phone

See All Rhymes for cell phone

Browse Nearby Words

Cellosolve
cell phone
cell phone lot
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cell phone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cell%20phone. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

cell phone

noun
: a portable cellular telephone
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All