Synonyms

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.

He also explained that he watched the footage on a mobile phone and not on a monitor.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

Vodafone last week announced it would take full ownership of Britain's biggest mobile phone operator, VodafoneThree.

From Barron's • May 12, 2026

Anyone with dashcam, CCTV, doorbell or mobile phone footage has been urged to contact police.

From BBC • May 9, 2026

In a statement, the police said officers investigating the theft of a mobile phone in Pimlico, London, in October 2025 had arrested "a 28-year-old man on suspicion of handling stolen goods".

From BBC • May 7, 2026

They were stored in a new mobile phone along with an emergency number in case she got lost.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

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