freephone

English

Etymology

From free +‎ phone, perhaps after the Freefone (0800 number) service introduced in 1985 in the UK.

Noun

freephone (uncountable)

1. (chiefly UK, Ireland) A service offering telephone calls free of charge to designated numbers.
   • 1997, Peter Murley, Gower handbook of customer service:

     If they are not marketed properly they can easily be viewed as a poor man's freephone. Therefore, if such a service is to succeed, it needs to be promoted...

   • 2000, Owen Hargie, Dennis Tourish, Handbook of communication audits for organisations:

     One reason for the increase in public contact with companies has been the introduction of freephone, or toll-free, services.

   • 2001, Dave Patten, Successful marketing for the small business:

     Adding a freephone telephone number does increase response...

Synonyms

• toll-free, tollfree

Related terms

• freepost

Verb

freephone (third-person singular simple present freephones, present participle freephoning, simple past and past participle freephoned)

1. (rare) To call a freephone number.