helpline

noun

help·​line ˈhelp-ˌlīn 

 Southern often  ˈhep-,

 also  ˈheəp-

variants or less commonly help line

plural helplines also help lines

: a phone service providing help or assistance: such as

a

: a telephone service that is usually available to the public and that provides advice, support, resources, etc. for some specific purpose (such as crisis intervention)

a free/confidential/24-hour helpline

He's also a peer support specialist for DeQH, a helpline for South Asian LGBTQ people.

—Rose Brennan

Calls to state addiction help lines have risen, as have alcohol use, drug overdoses and relapse rates, experts have said.

—Steve Janoski

… helpline volunteers offer support and basic information, locate treatment options in your area, and can help you find answers to any questions you may have.

—Radhika Menon

b

: a customer service line to provide support (such as technical support) for a product, service, etc.

Before making your purchase, phone the software vendor's customer helpline to make sure customer representatives are knowledgeable.

—Eric Berg

A user's guide, software documentation, and telephone helpline are included.

—Carol Tenopir

All week, Mata and other staffers have spent hours calling help lines set up by drug plan providers, only to get constant busy signals.

—Nicole Foy

Examples of helpline in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

DuPage County proclamation recognizes 211 helpline The DuPage County Board proclaimed Feb. 11 as 211 Day at its meeting Tuesday to recognize the helpline that connects county residents with health and human services. —Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 14 Feb. 2025

For anyone who had loved ones on the airplane, this helpline can be accessed by calling 800-679-8215. —Ashley Mahoney, Axios, 30 Jan. 2025

Call the freeze helpline at 1-800-367-2884 to double-check. —Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2025

In response, the BBC made a series of commitments to improve complaints handling, including launching a helpline and toughening up freelancer contracts. —Jake Kanter, Deadline, 31 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined above