roll call
noun
1
: the act or an instance of calling off a list of names (as for checking attendance)
also
: a time for a roll call
2
Synonyms
Examples of roll call in a Sentence
Two students missed roll call.
the roll call of the fallen was read aloud at the memorial service
Recent Examples on the Web
As the somber roll call was underway, each lawmaker announcing their choice, the holdouts quickly surfaced.
—
Compiled Bydemocrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2023
With similar obedience, Barkley called for a voice vote rather than a roll call, first on the Credentials Committee’s majority report seating Wright’s slate and then on Vaughn’s minority report impaneling Wright’s dissidents.
—Samuel G. Freedman, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 July 2023
As industrial-organizational psychology practitioner and workplace expert Amy Cooper Hakim, PhD explains, your employer should be fairly high up on your roll call.
—Vogue, 9 Nov. 2023
The roll call of films ranges from the highbrow to the decidedly grungy, the menu of a true movie fanatic.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2023
The United States of America is not just another country on the U.N. roll call, or just one of several great powers, each with an equally legitimate claim on world leadership.
—The Editors, National Review, 16 Oct. 2023
Gaetz was McCarthy’s main obstacle to the speakership in January, leading a band of rebels who refused to vote for the longtime GOP minority leader for the first 13 rounds of roll calls.
—Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 3 Oct. 2023
Republicans had appeared on track, in a tight roll call, to advancing the measure Thursday.
—Lisa Mascaro, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2023
The last requirement is that all board votes in purely virtual meetings must be by roll call vote.
—Kelly G. Richardson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Oct. 2023
See More
Compiled Bydemocrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2023
With similar obedience, Barkley called for a voice vote rather than a roll call, first on the Credentials Committee’s majority report seating Wright’s slate and then on Vaughn’s minority report impaneling Wright’s dissidents.
—Samuel G. Freedman, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 July 2023
As industrial-organizational psychology practitioner and workplace expert Amy Cooper Hakim, PhD explains, your employer should be fairly high up on your roll call.
—Vogue, 9 Nov. 2023
The roll call of films ranges from the highbrow to the decidedly grungy, the menu of a true movie fanatic.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2023
The United States of America is not just another country on the U.N. roll call, or just one of several great powers, each with an equally legitimate claim on world leadership.
—The Editors, National Review, 16 Oct. 2023
Gaetz was McCarthy’s main obstacle to the speakership in January, leading a band of rebels who refused to vote for the longtime GOP minority leader for the first 13 rounds of roll calls.
—Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 3 Oct. 2023
Republicans had appeared on track, in a tight roll call, to advancing the measure Thursday.
—Lisa Mascaro, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2023
The last requirement is that all board votes in purely virtual meetings must be by roll call vote.
—Kelly G. Richardson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Oct. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'roll call.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1763, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near roll call
Cite this Entry
“Roll call.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roll%20call. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
roll call
noun
: the action of calling off a list of names (as for checking attendance)
also
: a time for a roll call
Legal Definition
roll call
noun
: the act or an instance of calling off a list of names (as for checking attendance)
specifically
: an act or instance of calling the roll of a legislative body to determine if there is a quorum or to vote on a matter
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share