landline

noun

land·​line ˈland-ˌlīn 

variants or less commonly land line

1

: a line of transportation or communication on land

especially : a telephone line that transmits signals from one station to another directly along a wire without the use of radio waves

It reminds me of the tipping point several years ago when people realized they no longer needed a telephone landline and would do just fine with their cell phones.

—Rana Foroohar

—often used before another noun

a landline phone

a landline network

2

: a telephone that connects by wire : a landline telephone

Of course, if you're really worried, you could ditch your cell phone for a quaint landline.

—Kiera Butler

Examples of landline in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Beyond that, email and text lists are your landline and offer a permanent way to get in touch. —Amanda Miller Littlejohn, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025

Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (114) and cellphones (638) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (170). —Victoria Balara, Fox News, 23 Jan. 2025

San Diegans with landlines do not need to sign up, according to county officials, but for alerts from cellphones or email, registration is required. —Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Jan. 2025

Skype Credits Skype Credits let people pay to make traditional telephone calls, a convenient way to reach people still on landlines. —Chloe Albanesius, PCMAG, 16 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1865, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

landline

noun

land·​line -ˌ(d)līn 

: a line of communication (as by telephone) consisting of a cable laid on land