3G

American

abbreviation

Telecommunications, Digital Technology.

third-generation: being or relating to a mobile device or communications technology that is more advanced than the earlier two versions, using high-speed broadband to support internet access and multimedia applications.

3G tablets and e-readers.

3G British

abbreviation

third-generation; a system for mobile phones allowing fast connection, internet access, digital photography, graphics transmission and display, and other advanced features

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of 3G

First recorded in 1995–2000

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The premium price reflects investors’ confidence in Skechers and 3G, and one should expect some or all of the bonds to be called, at par, on or after that date.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 2, 2026

Buffett helped engineer the merger of Kraft and Heinz. 3G has exited what once was a sizable stake in Kraft Heinz.

From Barron's ● Jan. 20, 2026

McClelland said the 4G and 5G networks "have had a shot in the arm" to make the 3G network switch-off work.

From BBC ● Jan. 12, 2026

Kraft Heinz executives, many of them from 3G, used an aggressive cost-cutting measure called zero-based budgeting, under which all expenses had to be justified anew each year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026

This wasn’t a padded contour chair under a mild 3G lift.

From Far from Home by J.A. Taylor

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023