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.

Etymology

Origin of caller ID

First recorded in 1985–90

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:

caller ID

The person I spoke to seemed to know who I was — possibly from caller ID — and appeared to have information about me and the fraudulent charge.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 25, 2026

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

From BBC ● Nov. 23, 2025

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

It takes me a while to wake up, and by the time my fingers fumble against the plastic, I'm hurrying to press the answer button without bothering to look at the caller ID.

From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman

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