Rolodex

1 of 2

noun

ˈrō-lə-ˌdeks 

variants or rolodex

plural Rolodexes or rolodexes

1

a

: the expansive business and sometimes social connections of a person or entity especially that can be drawn on to achieve a goal

Humain plans to build up to six gigawatts in data center capability across the country by 2034, with a rolodex of key AI partners, including Nvidia, AMD, Amazon Web Services, Qualcomm and Cisco.

—Tala Alrajjal

Two nonprofit organizations that aim to improve economic and social well-being through targeted programming will kick off … an initiative organizers say will catalyze progress through "unlikely" collaborations. … These foundations' collective rolodex will bring in farmers, business executives and others …

—Jeff Elkins

b

: a source from which something may be drawn as needed

And while "Little Shop [of Horrors]" may be a staple in the community theater rolodex, Tiernan said, he wanted to change things up for his production.

—Melissa Heckscher

2

: a collection of people, businesses, etc. that make up a group having some common characteristic

The 49ers' need to add a defensive lineman grows weekly. Sam Okuayinonu got carted off with an ankle injury Sunday, joining the Rolodex of injured defensive ends …

—Cam Inman

Rolodex

2 of 2

trademark

Ro·​lo·​dex

—used for a desktop rotating file of notecards that contain contact information for usually business connections

Examples of Rolodex in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Hotel Juana The little sister to Hôtel Belles Rives, neighboring Hotel Juana’s Rolodex of guests during its heyday in the 1930s included the likes of jazz stars and royalty, like Duke Ellington and the Duke of Windsor. — Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2026

Two years ago, Drake experienced one of the most embarrassing defeats in rap-beef history by going up against Kendrick Lamar and half a Rolodex of old friends. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 21 May 2026

The year-round surf breaks—including the fast-barreling tubes of Cloud 9, some 30 minutes from the resort—draw most visitors to the island, and Nay Palad’s team has a Rolodex of pro surf instructors on call to show guests the best waves. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 May 2026

At the core of companies’ strategies for over half a century was building a relationship with clients, knowing them, and building a super-software-structure to avoid rolling the digital Rolodex that had accumulated over the years. — Paula De La Cruz, Forbes.com, 1 May 2026

At her funeral, a friend described her as their group’s Rolodex, Wakin said. — Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 30 Apr. 2026

Faber, a serious home cook with a Rolodex of chef friends, put in a full chef’s kitchen with a pizza oven and a table that seats 15. — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 2 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

after rolodex entry 2

First Known Use

Noun

1982, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for Rolodex

• atriplex
• biconvex
• bottlenecks
• circumflex
• intersex
• multiplex
• unisex
• annex
• annexe
• apex
• aztecs
• carex