post office

American  

[pohst aw-fis, of-is] / ˈpoʊst ˌɔ fɪs, ˌɒf ɪs /

noun

1. an office or station of a government postal system at which mail is received and sorted, from which it is dispatched and distributed, and at which stamps are sold or other services rendered. PO, P.O.

2. Often Post Office the department of a government charged with the transportation of mail.

3. an old-fashioned game in which one player is designated “postmaster” or “postmistress” and calls another player of a different gender into an adjoining room, ostensibly to receive a letter but actually to receive a kiss.

---

Post Office ¹ British  

noun

1. a government department or authority in many countries responsible for postal services and often telecommunications

---

post office ² British  

noun

1. a building or room where postage stamps are sold and other postal business is conducted

---

Other Word Forms

• post-office adjective

Etymology

Origin of post office

First recorded in 1645–55

Example Sentences

Going to the post office or grocery store gives them the opportunity to unload while also allowing you both to cross something off your to-do lists.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026

Idris Suleiman Gimba, who works with the National Blood Service Commission, said there was also a blast near the post office.

From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026

Jo Hamilton, who ran a post office in South Warnborough, Hampshire, was prosecuted in 2006 and cleared in 2021.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

Its only post office is in danger of closing due to lack of funding, and fliers are posted up on lamp posts asking for financial support from the community.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026

So then the Herdmans weren’t allowed in the post office or the Sunoco station, and they got thrown out of the new Laundromat the very day it opened.

From "The Best School Year Ever" by Barbara Robinson

Related Words

• postal service