robocall

American  

[roh-boh-kawl] / ˈroʊ boʊˌkɔl /

noun

Digital Technology, Telecommunications.

1. a telephone call placed to large numbers of people by a computerized device that automatically dials the telephone numbers and plays a recorded message.

   Many but not all robocalls are illegal.

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Etymology

Origin of robocall

First recorded in 1990–95; robo- + call (in the sense “telephone call”)

Explanation

A robocall is a prerecorded call delivered by a computer. It's not really a phone call from a robot, even though that would be pretty cool! A robocall is a phone call made to lots of people by a computer, where the computer delivers a prerecorded message. If you get an automated phone call confirming a medical appointment, that's not a robocall; a robocall is often trying to convince you to vote for a political party or buy something. They're like a flyer, except by phone rather than through the mail.

Example Sentences

Insurance scams were at the top of the list of robocall complaints, the Federal Communications Commission said, and although they happen year-round, they tend to spike during open-enrollment season.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 10, 2025

She said election offices might deal with everything from threatening emails and phone calls to an AI-generated robocall sent to poll workers telling them to stay home on Election Day.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 21, 2024

Wohl and Burkman were already facing criminal charges in Michigan and Ohio for the robocall scheme when the New York attorney general filed charges in 2021.

From Salon • Apr. 10, 2024

The state attorney general office announced this week that it had opened a criminal investigation into a Texas-based company it believes is behind the robocall.

From New York Times • Feb. 8, 2024

The school did send out a robocall about “Kah-den Boosh” missing one or more classes, because the automated voice can’t pronounce my name.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman