area code

noun

: a usually 3-digit number that identifies a particular telephone service area in a country (such as the U.S. or Canada)

Examples of area code in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The phone number used in the scams does not originate from the Detroit area and appears to be from an area code that is not based in Michigan. —Nour Rahal, Detroit Free Press, 20 Dec. 2024

Pruitt’s little scheme wasn’t in the same area code as the NCAA’s rulebook. —Blake Toppmeyer, The Tennessean, 19 Dec. 2024

The 43-year-old singer, songwriter and businessman from Miami — who goes by the nickname Mr. 305 (after Miami’s original area code) and Mr. Worldwide — is expected to pay the Conference USA school $1.2 million per year over the next five years to have his name on its 20,000-seat home. —Chris Vannini, The Athletic, 6 Aug. 2024

That probably underscores the disappointment of the Leonard-George era — also known as the 213 era, named for Los Angeles’ area code — the most. —Law Murray, The Athletic, 1 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1941, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

area code

noun

: a usually three-digit number that represents each telephone service area in a country (as the U.S. or Canada)