caller ID

American

[kaw-ler] / ˈkɔ lər /

noun

a telephone service that allows a subscriber to identify a caller before answering by displaying the caller's telephone number on a small screen.

First recorded in 1985–90

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

caller ID

Remarkably — to me, anyway — they can also now fake caller ID.

From MarketWatch ● May 22, 2026

The caller ID read “LA Cor,” sending his heart racing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 21, 2024

NBC reported that Sullivan's personal cell phone number appeared in the caller ID of those receiving the robocall.

From Salon ● Jan. 22, 2024

Ofcom has warned against relying on caller ID to tell if calls are legitimate.

From BBC ● Jan. 2, 2024

The caller ID showed “unknown” and she thought it might be a call from her parents in Nigeria.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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