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

Santa brought Eliza Bianco’s three kids, ages 6, 8 and 10, a landline for Christmas. —Kara Alaimo, CNN Money, 23 Feb. 2026

Once connected, the landline acts just like your cellphone. —Jennifer Liu valentina Duarte, CNBC, 21 Feb. 2026

Separately, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday signed a law requiring mobile operators in Russia to block cellular and landline internet services at the request of the FSB, the latest move in the ongoing Kremlin effort to tighten control over the internet. —Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2026

Call Barbi Zipperian on her landline at 714-280-9062 to make a reservation or for additional information. —Sharon Hlapcich, Oc Register, 17 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1865, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for landline

• affine
• airline
• align
• aline
• assign
• baseline
• beamline
• benign
• bloodline
• bovine
• byline
• canine

Kids Definition

landline

noun

land·​line -ˌ(d)līn 

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