Definition

Noun: A telephone directory is a book or online listing that contains an alphabetical list of the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of people and businesses within a specific area.

Usage

The term "telephone directory" refers to the complete publication or database. It is a countable noun. * You look up a person's number in a telephone directory. * It is often simply called "the phone book."

Examples

• Noun:
  • I found his address by looking him up in the telephone directory.
  • The new telephone directory was delivered to every house last week.
  • Many people now use online telephone directories instead of printed books.

Advanced Usage

• "To be listed in the telephone directory": To have one's name and number included in the published directory. This is often a choice, and some people opt for an unlisted number.
  • Their number is private, so they are not listed in the telephone directory.

Variants and Related Words

• Phone book (n): A common, informal synonym for "telephone directory."
  • Check the phone book for a local plumber.
• Directory (n): A more general term for any book or list of names, addresses, and other information. A telephone directory is a specific type of directory.
• White Pages (n): The section of a telephone directory that lists residential subscribers alphabetically by surname.
• Yellow Pages (n): The section of a telephone directory that lists businesses and services categorized by type (e.g., "Restaurants," "Plumbers"), traditionally printed on yellow paper.

Synonyms

• Phone book
• Directory

Related Phrases

• To look up a number in the telephone directory: The standard phrase for searching for information within it.
  • I had to look up the company's number in the telephone directory.

Noun

1. a directory containing an alphabetical list of telephone subscribers and their telephone numbers