Hotline Meaning

/hˈɑˌtlaɪn/
B2

Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.

Listen pronunciation

nounA telephone line that is always staffed and able to give immediate assistance.

nounA direct line between two people, especially one between heads of state to be used in an emergency.

Tom called the hotline.
Tom called the suicide hotline.
Sami called the suicide prevention hotline.
CEFR Practice Quiz
If you have an emergency, call the 24-hour crisis ____ for immediate help.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The charity established a 24-hour ____ to provide support and advice to people in crisis.

Etymology tree English hot Middle French lignerbor. English line English hotline From hot + line.

"[M]any mobile phone companies have nuisance call hotlines, to which you can report a bully's phone number." — 2004 August 11, Catherine Nixey, “Victim support in the playground”, in The Independent, UK, retrieved 29 Dec 2015:
"Suicidal people can have discussions about suicide on pro-life peer-to-peer forums and hotlines without fear of judgment or intervention." — 2016 December 11, Jennings Brown, “The sordid history of the first sanctioned suicide forum”, in Daily Dot, archived from the original on 11 Dec 2016:
"Tim McIntyre, executive vice president of communication for Domino’s, said in an email the company has developed other features to help disabled customers, like voice-activated ordering devices and a hotline that customers with screen-readers can use to report difficulties with the site." — 2019 December 22, Abdel Jimenez, “Software can help the blind access the internet, but not every site supports it”, in Chicago Tribune, 172nd year, number 356, section 2 (Business), page 3, column 1:
"Increasing access to mental health services in remote and rural areas, where suicide rates tend to be higher, is a priority, and the 988 hotline is a useful bridge to those communities, Dr. Crawford said." — 2024 December 7, Vjosa Isai, “Canada’s 988 Crisis Hotline, a ‘Pathway to Survival,’ One Year Later”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 08 Dec 2024:

Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words

CEFR Practice Quiz
If you have an emergency, call the 24-hour crisis ____ for immediate help.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The charity established a 24-hour ____ to provide support and advice to people in crisis.

Expand Your Vocabulary with LexUp

Master English words using smart flashcards, play exciting word rounds, and compete with other learners worldwide.

Browse CEFR Words Alphabetically