mobile phone

American  

noun

1. any wireless telephone that operates over a relatively large area, as a cell phone or PCS phone.

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mobile phone British  

noun

1. a portable telephone that works by means of a cellular radio system

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Etymology

Origin of mobile phone

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

BlackBerry jumps after the former mobile phone giant posts better-than-expected quarterly numbers.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

Det Ch Insp Neil John of the Metropolitan Police, called it a "deeply tragic incident outside a busy nightclub" and asked for anyone who had any information, dashcam or mobile phone footage to contact them.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

Gonzalez switched her mobile phone plan, dropped all but one of her streaming subscriptions, limited her grocery spending and cut out Starbucks.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

Horizon Worlds, the virtual reality app that tied into Meta’s Quest VR headsets, will disappear in June, but remain an option for mobile phone users.

From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026

Alex saw that she had stood up again and was speaking into the mobile phone, perhaps calling for help.

From "Stormbreaker" by Anthony Horowitz