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• yellow pages
  yellow pages

  plural noun

  a classified telephone directory or section of a directory, listing subscribers by the type of business or service they offer, usually printed on yellow paper.
• Yellow Pages
  Yellow Pages

  plural noun

  a classified telephone directory, often printed on yellow paper, that lists subscribers by the business or service provided

yellow pages

American  

plural noun

(often initial capital letters)

1. a classified telephone directory or section of a directory, listing subscribers by the type of business or service they offer, usually printed on yellow paper.

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Yellow Pages British  

plural noun

1. a classified telephone directory, often printed on yellow paper, that lists subscribers by the business or service provided

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Etymology

Origin of yellow pages

First recorded in 1950–55

Compare meaning

How does yellow-pages compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• white pages vs. yellow pages

Example Sentences

New York City’s telephone company in 1886 published the first Yellow Pages directory of business phone numbers—creating a nearly friction-free way for merchants and customers to find one another.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 15, 2025

I would have had to consult the Yellow Pages, or more likely, call Information — something my parents frowned upon because of the toll.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2024

I wouldn't give up, so looked in the Yellow Pages and came across the Prince's Trust.

From BBC • Sep. 20, 2022

Or maybe looked it up in an outdated Yellow Pages phonebook they found in the back closet.

From Washington Times • Jun. 16, 2022

In some cities outside the Northeast, evangelical business owners list their names in Christian Yellow Pages.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

Related Words

• phone book