Word
cellular phone
Definition
n. a portable phone that you can carry with you and use almost anywhere.
n. a handheld telecommunication device that connects to a wireless network via radio frequencies.
Examples
“He keeps his cellular phone in his pocket.”
“Before smartphones became common, a cellular phone was primarily used for voice calls and simple text messages.”
“The rapid expansion of cellular phone networks in the late twentieth century fundamentally altered the accessibility of telecommunications in rural and developing regions.”
Examples
simple
“He keeps his cellular phone in his pocket.”
contextual
“Before smartphones became common, a cellular phone was primarily used for voice calls and simple text messages.”
complex
“The rapid expansion of cellular phone networks in the late twentieth century fundamentally altered the accessibility of telecommunications in rural and developing regions.”
Usage
Often shortened to 'cell phone' or simply 'cell' in everyday conversation.
Teaching tip
While technically referring to the network technology, this is the standard term in the US and Canada; British English speakers almost exclusively use 'mobile phone'.
Etymology
Derived from the adjective cellular, referring to the division of a geographic area into small sections or cells, each served by its own low-power transmitter. The term was utilised in technical papers by Bell Laboratories researchers in 1947 to describe this network architecture.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/cellular-phone