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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

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

• white pages vs. yellow pages

Example Sentences

Facebook didn’t buy yellow pages or local newspapers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 11, 2026

It was tied into the advertising it was doing in the yellow pages.

From The Verge • Jun. 8, 2021

Thumbing through the yellow pages of the binder, she spoke of Sharqiya’s past: It had up-to-date labs for physics and chemistry and was the first school to incorporate computers into its curriculum.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2020

And as more baby boomers--who probably were covered by HMOs while working--move to Medicare, choosing a managed care plan is more familiar to them than having to search the yellow pages for a provider.

From New York Times • Oct. 3, 2016

Every few days Mrs. Sen would open up the yellow pages, dial a number that she had ticked in the margin, and ask if there was any whole fish available.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Related Words

• phone book