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

“The customer was just providing details when her husband came forward and grabbed the mobile phone started argument and cut the call,” a worker had scrawled in looped letters on a preprinted form.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

Following its former mobile phone dominance and transition to telecom equipment, Nokia is now transforming into an optical networks powerhouse with a European advantage, the bank says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

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

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 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

There is a joke about a commuter who’s on his way to work when he gets a call on his mobile phone from his wife.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker