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

Customers could not reach him because he had always phoned them with his caller ID hidden.

From BBC ● Nov. 23, 2025

Never rely on caller ID alone, the Federal Trade Commission warned.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 10, 2025

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

From Salon ● Jan. 22, 2024

Don’t trust your caller ID to ferret out fakes, either, the commission warned.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2023

When I peer at the phone, the caller ID says: Unknown Number.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu

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