freephone

English

Etymology

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

Noun

freephone (uncountable)

(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)

(rare) To call a freephone number.