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.
For decades, electronic chips have powered almost every digital device around us, from smartphones and computers to the servers running artificial intelligence. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026 Her clever approach looks at a large number of middle schools in Norway, ranking their divergent smartphone policies across a range from strictness to leniency. — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026 The company is pushing its mid-range smartphone family into territory that was, until pretty recently, mostly reserved for chunky rugged phones (though naturally, these devices’ batteries are often significantly larger). — New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026 The young, gaming- and smartphone-obsessed population has a huge appetite for apps and computing power. — Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 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 7 Sep. 2026.

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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
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