roll call

American  

noun

• roll calls
  plural

1. the calling of a list of names, as of soldiers or students, for checking attendance.

2. a military signal for this, as one given by a drum.

3. a voting process, especially in the U.S. Congress, in which legislators are called on by name and allowed either to cast their vote or to abstain.

---

roll call British  

noun

1. the reading aloud of an official list of names, those present responding when their names are read out

2. the time or signal for such a reading

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• roll calls
  plural

Etymology

Origin of roll call

First recorded in 1765–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

roll call

The roll call also revealed some rare splits between members of Democratic leadership, present and past.

From Slate ● Jul. 18, 2026

And after this week, there is a growing possibility it could happen in full daylight with a roll call vote in the Senate.

From Salon ● Apr. 17, 2026

The effect is as interesting as reading a grade-school roll call.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026

After the roll call Monday, Chait spoke briefly.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 2, 2026

By the end of the roll call, James Abram Garfield had won enough votes to become the Republican Party's nominee, beating out Grant, Blaine, and Sherman.

From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow