video call

or vid·e·o·call

[ vid-ee-oh kawl ]

noun

1. an act or instance of communicating with one or more people using a smartphone, mobile device, webcam, etc., to transmit and receive both audio and video.

verb (used with or without object)

1. to communicate with (one or more people) by using a smartphone, computer, etc., to transmit and receive audio and video: Employees working remotely are expected to videocall into the department meetings with the collaboration app.

   It would be nice if the grandkids lived closer, but at least we video call each other pretty often.

   Employees working remotely are expected to videocall into the department meetings with the collaboration app.

video call

noun

1. a call made via a mobile phone with a camera and a screen, allowing the participants to see each other as they talk

Word History and Origins

Origin of video call¹

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

"Whenever you receive such a call, don’t be scared. You should be aware that no investigative agency never inquires like this through a phone call or a video call," he said.

From BBC

With her signature shawl draped over her shoulders and silver hair pulled back from her face, Jane Goodall exudes serenity - even over our slightly blurry video call.

From BBC

Just when the 20-year-old singer/guitarist, founder of the San Francisco shoegaze outfit Wisp, cracked open Zoom for an interview about her ferocious rise in heavy rock, she was promptly mauled by two of her cats, who crowded onto the screen and claimed the video call for themselves.

From Los Angeles Times

“I do like having a max amount of matches you have to respond to, and I do like the idea of having a video call function in the app, because sometimes people don’t want to go on a first date before they get a human connection,” Barron said.

From Slate

“It feels emotional,” she says over a video call, her “I Voted” sticker visible on the upper right side of her cream-colored sweatshirt.

From Los Angeles Times