Hotline

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Hotline

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

noun

Pronunciation

HOT-lyne  /ˈhɒtlaɪn/

Definition

A direct telephone line providing immediate access to an emergency, advisory, or specialist service; the most famous example being the Washington–Moscow Hotline established in 1963 between the US President and the Soviet leader; any telephone service providing rapid direct communication.

Plain meaning

A hotline is a direct phone line for urgent communication — a hotline to a crisis service, a police hotline for witnesses, a customer hotline for complaints. The most famous hotline in history is the direct communication link between the US and Soviet heads of government, established after the Cuban Missile Crisis to prevent accidental nuclear war.

Register

Neutral to slightly formal. Hotline is used in government, corporate, news, and public information contexts. The Washington-Moscow Hotline is always capitalised. In corporate contexts, hotlines are customer service or whistleblowing mechanisms. In public health, a hotline provides medical advice or crisis support.