hotline

American  

[hot-lahyn] / ˈhɒtˌlaɪn /

noun

• hotlines
  plural

1. Also hot line a direct telecommunications link enabling immediate communication between heads of state in an international crisis.

   the hotline between Washington and Moscow.

2. Also hot line a telephone service enabling people to talk confidentially with someone about a personal problem or crisis.

   The protective services system is anchored by a 24-hour, 7-days-a-week emergency hotline.

3. Also hot line a telephone line providing customers or clients with direct access to a company or professional service.

   If you need assistance, feel free to chat with us through our online auto parts website or give our hotline a call.

4. Chiefly Canadian. a radio program to which listeners can phone in comments or questions.

   The radio hotline features advice and insight from a range of bank spokespeople during tax season.

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adjective

1. Chiefly Canadian. of or relating to a radio program to which listeners can phone in comments or questions.

hotline British  

/ ˈhɒtˌlaɪn /

noun

1. a direct telephone, teletype, or other communications link between heads of government, for emergency use

2. any such direct line kept for urgent use

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• hotlines
  plural

Etymology

Origin of hotline

First recorded in 1950–55; hot + line ¹

Explanation

A hotline is a direct and immediate communication link. In 2007, the U.S. and China agreed to establish a dedicated defense hotline allowing top military officials to communicate directly during times of crisis. A political hotline provides a direct line of communication between key leaders or defense officials. Various nations have set up hotlines to facilitate communication, including the U.S. and Russia; North and South Korea; and India and Pakistan. Beyond diplomacy, a hotline is also any phone service designed for immediate aid or information, especially in an emergency. In the U.S., for example, there are Poison Help and mental-health crisis hotlines.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hotline hotlines

Conservationists have urged birders to look out for the youngsters, and report any sightings by emailing the RSPB's Montagu's hotline at [email protected].

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

The Justice Department also maintains an elder-fraud hotline.

From MarketWatch ● May 22, 2026

Outside the administration, some private-sector analysts are already debating what such discussions might ultimately produce and whether more concrete crisis-management mechanisms could eventually follow, such as an AI hotline for communication between high-level leadership.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026

NPR recently reported that the Center on Conscience and War, which helps run the hotline, has 80 new clients in the month of March alone.

From Salon ● May 3, 2026

She could call the hotline, tell them what she knew without saying her name.

From "The Honest Truth" by Dan Gemeinhart

The embassy also set up the telephone hotlines to "provide information and assistance to affected families".

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

Allianz Partners provides services like travel protection and 24//7 hotlines for other companies that sell to consumers.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026

Advocates have begun passing new laws replacing anonymous reporting to child abuse hotlines with confidential reporting.

From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026

Google also said its engineers are continuing to train Gemini to recognize conversations that signal a user in distress and that it would contribute $30 million to global crisis-support hotlines.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 12, 2026

In October, California passed an AI safety law requiring chatbot operators to prevent suicide content, notify minors they’re chatting with machines and refer them to crisis hotlines.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 21, 2025