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

If the caller ID comes up as your bank, don’t answer and call back using the number on the back of your credit card.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 25, 2026

Ofcom advises people not to trust the caller ID display on their phone when trying to avoid scams.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 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

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2023

I checked the caller ID and saw it was Spoon.

From "Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel" by Harlan Coben

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