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

Millennials are reliving their childhoods by installing rotary landlines. — Greta Cross, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026

Telecom ultimately cleared the hurdle by migrating from hardware to software, adopting new business models and adapting the regulatory rules that had governed an industry built on landlines. — Anna Demeo, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Her regular route includes a stop at Landline Home, which stocks vintage household goods like radios, appliances, and, yes, landline phones. — Miranda Crowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Aug. 2026

Technology has significantly evolved since then, with 80% of 911 calls nationwide coming from wireless mobile devices rather than landlines tied to specific addresses. — Sophia Eppley, AJC.com, 10 Aug. 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
• brucine
• byline

Kids Definition

landline

noun

land·​line -ˌ(d)līn 

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