yellow pages

plural noun

often capitalized Y&P
1
: the section of a telephone book that lists business and professional firms alphabetically by category and that includes classified advertising
also : a listing of products or services that is independently published
2
: a directory resembling yellow pages

Examples of yellow pages in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Buchheit compared it to the decline in use of the yellow pages, which was once the go-to directory for businesses and contact details but was replaced by Google. Byalice Hearing, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2023 In 2021, WhatsApp piloted a yellow pages-like feature in São Paulo, Brazil, which allowed people to look up businesses within the app. Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz, 17 Nov. 2022 In a world still decades away from cellphones, calling an ambulance meant finding a pay phone, dropping a dime, and searching through the yellow pages for an ambulance company. Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 July 2022 This is reflected in search data from yellow pages platforms like JustDial. Manavi Kapur, Quartz, 24 Feb. 2022 In the years after her apprenticeship at the center, Carlos found work producing audio spots for toothpaste, beer, and the yellow pages. Will Stephenson, Harper's Magazine, 15 Sep. 2020 Once an industry largely run on pen and paper (and fueled by yellow page ads), the field is now overrun with tech solutions. Brittany Meiling, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 July 2019 Bail-bond agents used to advertise in the yellow pages, but as the public abandoned phone books for Google, so did the industry. Greg Ip, WSJ, 4 July 2018 Haircut for Asian Men Since 1987, Jay Bobo has worked at Astor Hair, a barbershop with fluorescent lights, baseball on TV, and walls plastered with yellowing pages ripped from GQ. John Januzzi, The Cut, 6 Mar. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'yellow pages.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of yellow pages was in 1909

Dictionary Entries Near yellow pages

Cite this Entry

“Yellow pages.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yellow%20pages. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

yellow pages

noun plural
often capitalized Y&P
: the section of a telephone directory that lists businesses and professional firms by category and includes advertising
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