Definition
A telephone call made to a number outside one's local calling area, which incurred additional charges beyond basic phone service. Before unlimited calling plans, long-distance calls were expensive and often reserved for important conversations.
Example Usage
Calling her grandmother across the country was expensive, so they reserved long distance calls for special occasions.
Origin
Emerged from the technical reality that telephone networks were organized into local exchanges; calls between exchanges required additional infrastructure and thus additional cost.
Fun Fact
Long-distance rates were so expensive that families would coordinate "calling cards" and time their conversations to save money, and some would rush to call before midnight when rates reset.
Related Terms
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See “long distance” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.
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