country code: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Neutral to Technical
Quick answer
What does “country code” mean?
A short, standardized sequence of letters or numbers used to uniquely identify a country in international contexts, such as telephony or data processing.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A short, standardized sequence of letters or numbers used to uniquely identify a country in international contexts, such as telephony or data processing.
A standardized identifier for a country or dependent territory, used in telecommunications (e.g., dialing codes), internet domains (e.g., top-level domains), international standards (e.g., ISO codes), and data systems to denote national origin or location.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical or semantic differences. Spelling of related words may differ (e.g., 'dialling code' vs. 'dialing code').
Connotations
Neutral and technical in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally common in both varieties due to global technical standardization.
Grammar
How to Use “country code” in a Sentence
The country code for [Country] is [Code].You must prefix the number with the country code.The database field requires a valid country code.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “country code” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The system will country-code the entries automatically.
- You need to country-code these records.
American English
- The software country-codes the data on import.
- We should country-code our customer list.
adverb
British English
- The numbers were listed country-code first.
- Sort the file country-code wise.
American English
- The data is organized country-code sequentially.
- File these country-code alphabetically.
adjective
British English
- The country-code data is stored separately.
- We need a country-code lookup table.
American English
- The country-code field is mandatory.
- Check the country-code reference manual.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in international contact details, forms, and data systems: 'Please include the country code in all client phone numbers.'
Academic
Used in demographics, international studies, and data science: 'The dataset was sorted by the ISO 3166-1 country code.'
Everyday
Used when making international calls or filling out online forms: 'Don't forget the country code when you call abroad.'
Technical
Used in telecommunications, software development, and database management: 'The API validates the input against a table of country codes.'
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “country code”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “country code”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “country code”
- Omitting the '+' or '00' prefix when writing a phone number with a country code.
- Confusing 'country code' with 'area code' (which is within a country).
- Writing 'countrycode' as one word.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. A country code is used for international dialing to reach a country (e.g., +1 for US/Canada). An area code is used within a country to route calls to a specific region or city (e.g., 212 for Manhattan).
A country code TLD (ccTLD) like .uk or .de is a specific type of country code used for internet domain names. The term 'country code' more broadly refers to telephony (e.g., +44) and ISO standards (e.g., GB).
The '+' symbol is an international prefix replacement. It tells your phone to use the international access code of the country you are calling from (which is often 00 or 011). So '+' is universally understood.
Typically, no. Each country or territory is assigned one primary telephony country code by the ITU. However, some territories may share a code (e.g., the US, Canada, and several Caribbean nations share +1), and some codes are used for special services (e.g., +800 for international toll-free).
A short, standardized sequence of letters or numbers used to uniquely identify a country in international contexts, such as telephony or data processing.
Country code is usually neutral to technical in register.
Country code: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkʌntri kəʊd/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkʌntri koʊd/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None. The term is purely technical.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a 'code' for each 'country', like a secret number for a club. The UK's code (+44) is like a VIP entry number.
Conceptual Metaphor
A COUNTRY IS A NODE IN A NETWORK (requiring a unique address/code).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is an example of a country code?