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

If that’s the case, while many customers have simply abandoned the purchase, some of those customers have certainly called your helpline to resolve their purchasing issue. —Tom Lewis, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025

The spokesperson said those who have not received their settlements within 30 days of filing their insurance claims should contact the FEMA helpline at 1-800-621-3362. —Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 15 Jan. 2025

The bill would also expand postpartum mental health care, establish a stillbirth prevention pilot and create a behavioral health helpline for mothers. —Arika Herron, Axios, 14 Jan. 2025

Those who wish to enroll in free online credit monitoring and identity theft protection services also are directed to call the helpline. —Sarah Volpenhein, Journal Sentinel, 21 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined above