mobile phone

American

noun

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

mobile phone British

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of mobile phone

First recorded in 1945–50

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.

Edinburgh councillors said the mobile phone ban was designed to improve pupils' concentration, behaviour and wellbeing.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

Pauken gave Person 1 a laptop and a mobile phone, which had encrypted messaging apps connected to an account with usernames Catherine and Cathy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

As the investigation progressed, we did everything we could to corroborate the women's accounts - including scouring mobile phone histories, speaking to other cast members, as well as friends and family.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

Last week, the Trump family’s mobile phone company announced in a social media post that the phones would be “shipping this week” to customers who preordered the device.

From Salon • May 21, 2026

He was wearing a business suit today, checking messages on his caduceus mobile phone.

From "The Titan's Curse" by Rick Riordan

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