smartphone

noun

smart·​phone ˈsmärt-ˌfōn How to pronounce smartphone (audio)
variants or less commonly smart phone
plural smartphones also smart phones
: a cell phone that includes additional software functions (such as email or an Internet browser)

Examples of smartphone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Joe Conti, an independent researcher and physics enthusiast based in Massachusetts, is inviting eclipse observers across Iceland and Spain to capture the optical mystery on their smartphones as part of a citizen science project. — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026 Eight years after introducing its first folding phone, the tech giant believes advances in design, portability and productivity can help transform what was once a niche category into a compelling alternative to traditional smartphones. — Marc Saltzman, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2026 When the manual hit shelves in May 2013, only about half of Americans had a smartphone. — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026 To prove the unused car stays that way, participants will be using GoCarma’s smartphone app to keep track of odometer readings. — Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for smartphone

Word History

First Known Use

1996, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of smartphone was in 1996

Rhymes for smartphone

See All Rhymes for smartphone

Browse Nearby Words

smart off
smartphone
smart set
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Smartphone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smartphone. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

smartphone

noun
smart·​phone ˈsmärt-ˌfōn How to pronounce smartphone (audio)
: a cell phone that includes additional functions (as email or an Internet browser)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gnomic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

'Gaslighting,' 'Woke,' 'Democracy,' and Other Top Lookups
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All