Showing results for 988.

988

American

[nahyn-eyt-eyt] / ˈnaɪnˌeɪtˈeɪt /

(in the United States) the telephone number for a mental health crisis hotline staffed by licensed counselors and other staff trained in suicide prevention.

Etymology

Origin of 988

First recorded in 2022

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Emergency services are contacted in fewer than 2% of calls, according to Vibrant Emotional Health, the nonprofit organization that administers 988, and most of these dispatches are made with the caller’s consent.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

The sessions were voluntary, and their recordings were placed in the online library of continuing education materials available to all 988 counselors.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Readers in the US and Canada can call the 988 suicide helpline or visit its website.

From BBC • Dec. 29, 2025

Both Raiders and Cowboys players wore shirts honoring Kneeland during pre-game warm-ups, with the Raiders jerseys carrying the number "988" of a suicide prevention helpline.

From Barron's • Nov. 18, 2025

Nestor’s chronicle, that Vladimir was baptized in 988 after he had captured the city.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 1 "Châtelet" to "Chicago" by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023