The term robocall first appeared in the late 1990s, and is more common in American rather than British usage, perhaps because of its association with US electioneering, as discussed above. Following the pattern of call in its telephone sense, robocall is also used as a transitive verb, often occurring in the passive as be / get robocalled, e.g. I just got robocalled by an insurance company.

The term robocall first appeared in the late 1990s, and is more common in American rather than British usage, perhaps because of its association with US electioneering, as discussed above. Following the pattern of call in its telephone sense, robocall is also used as a transitive verb, often occurring in the passive as be / get robocalled, e.g. I just got robocalled by an insurance company.