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.
Swift and Kelce also reportedly asked their guests to sign NDAs and refrain from cell phone usage. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 4 July 2026 He was arrested after police tracked his location by obtaining his cell phone number and utilizing data from cell towers in the area. — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 1 July 2026 In footage featured on the FOX broadcast, an unlucky fan excitedly threw her hands in the air to take part in the wave, only for her cell phone to fly out of her hands and into the air. — Jaclyn Hendricks, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026 This surge in consumer demand was led by an increase in foreign purchases of passenger cars, automotive parts, pharmaceutical preparations and cell phones. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 7 July 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 8 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

cell phone

noun
: a portable cellular telephone
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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