video call

American  

[vid-ee-oh kawl] / ˈvɪd iˌoʊ ˌkɔl /

Also video chat or videocall

noun

1. an act or instance of communicating with one or more people using a smartphone, mobile device, webcam, etc., to transmit and receive both audio and video.

---

verb (used with or without object)

1. to communicate with (one or more people) by using a smartphone, computer, etc., to transmit and receive audio and video: Employees working remotely are expected to videocall into the department meetings with the collaboration app.

   It would be nice if the grandkids lived closer, but at least we video call each other pretty often.

   Employees working remotely are expected to videocall into the department meetings with the collaboration app.

video call British  

noun

1. a call made via a mobile phone with a camera and a screen, allowing the participants to see each other as they talk

---

Etymology

Origin of video call

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

"It's incredible to me to know that they were up close," said Catherine, wearing rocket-shaped earrings during a video call.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

“I love playing characters that are so unbelievable that they have to exist in a different way,” says Ortiz on a video call from New York.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

“It worked pretty well,” Mac Davis, one of the founders, who is also an ordained Buddhist monk, told me on a video call.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

The Neo slowed after the 51st tab: a Google Meet video call.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026

“We talked about it, and he also asked if I wanted to talk to my aunt about it. So I did a video call with her, and she explained a lot to me. That helped.”

From "A Soft Place to Land" by Janae Marks