area code

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area code

A person looks up the area code for a city on a smartphone.

Definition

Noun: A three-digit number that identifies a specific geographic region for telephone dialing within a country, such as the United States or Canada. It is dialed before the local telephone number when making a call to a different region.

Usage

The 'area code' is used to route long-distance telephone calls to the correct geographic region. It is a required part of dialing a phone number when calling outside one's local calling area.

Examples
  • To call New York City from another region, you must first dial the area code 212, followed by the seven-digit local number.
  • Please include your area code when listing your phone number on the form.
  • My phone number is (555) 123-4567, where 555 is the area code.
Advanced Usage
  • Overlay area code: A new area code introduced to serve the same geographic region as an existing code, requiring all calls within the region to be dialed using the full 10-digit number (area code + local number).
    • Due to population growth, the city now uses an overlay area code.
  • Toll-free area code: A special area code (e.g., 800, 888, 877) where the called party, not the caller, pays for the call.
    • For customer service, dial the toll-free area code 800.
Variants and Related Words
  • Dialing code (noun): A more general term used internationally for a sequence of numbers dialed to reach a particular country, city, or mobile network. An area code is a type of domestic dialing code.
  • Prefix (noun): In telephony, this can sometimes refer to the first set of digits in a phone number, which may include the area code or the central office code (the first three digits of the local seven-digit number).
Synonyms
  • Numbering plan area (NPA) code: The formal technical term used within the telecommunications industry in North America.
  • Regional code: A less common, descriptive synonym.
Related Phrases
  • To dial the area code: The action of entering the code.
    • Remember to dial the area code even for local calls.
  • Area code required: A notice indicating that the full 10-digit number must be used.
    • The recording stated, "Area code required," so I redialed the number.
area code

A person looks up the area code for a city on a smartphone.

Noun
  1. a number usually of 3 digits assigned to a telephone area as in the United States and Canada