What does redialing mean?
Redialing means dialing a telephone number again, usually after a call has failed, reached a busy signal, or been disconnected. The word is commonly used in practical situations involving business calls, customer support, and personal telephone contacts. For example, a caller may hear a busy tone, wait for the line to clear, and resume redialing the number. As a noun, redialing can refer to the repeated attempt itself, although this use is less common than the verb form. The term is formal and technical enough to be associated with telecommunications, but it remains natural in everyday conversation. Its meaning is narrower than simply calling again: it normally implies that the same telephone number is being dialed a second time. Redialing is especially useful as a synonym for retrying a call because it identifies the precise action involved.
To dial a telephone number again, especially after a failed, busy, or disconnected call.
"The line was busy, so I redialed the number a minute later."
Usually transitive when followed by a number, as in “redial the number,” though it can also be used without an object.
The act or practice of dialing a telephone number again.
"After several unsuccessful attempts, she stopped redialing and sent a message instead."
This gerund-noun use is less frequent than the verb use.
If a call fails, redialing gives you another chance without hunting for the number again.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does redialing come from?
The word combines the prefix re-, meaning “again,” with dial, a term for a numbered telephone dial and, by extension, the act of making a call. Dial ultimately comes through Latin from Greek dia-, through the concept of measuring across. The modern telephone sense developed before redial and redialing became common expressions for placing another call to the same number.
Related word forms
How redialing is actually used
Redialing is especially associated with telephone calls and is normally used when a previous attempt has failed or produced a busy signal. It is formal but widely understood in both British and American English.