help desk

noun

plural help desks

: a department or person that provides assistance and information usually for electronic or computer problems

Adding a work account is easier than it used to be, but if you're a technophobe, or if your company requires special security settings, call your help desk.

—Jeremy Caplan

—often hyphenated when used before another noun

help-desk questions

Pleas to reset forgotten passwords account for half of help-desk calls to Web sites, says RSA Security.

—Victoria Murphy Barret

Examples of help desk in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But while some industry insiders are already writing obituaries for in-person tourist support centers, destinations around Asia are actually increasing the number of traveler help desks. —Lilit Marcus, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2025

These efforts are streamlining tasks across help desks, HR and business analysis. —Peter High, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025

Visitors may still be able to get in, but rangers would not be around and infrastructure like restrooms, help desks and other facilities would be closed. —Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 10 Mar. 2025

Then posing as the employee, called the MGM help desk and convinced the help desk employee to change the access password for the employee whose identity was used by the hackers. —Steve Weisman, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1980, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for help desk

• burlesque
• grotesque
• arabesque
• picaresque
• romanesque
• statuesque
• carnivalesque

Kids Definition

help desk

noun

: a department or person that provides help or information usually for electronic or computer problems