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postage

American  
[poh-stij] / ˈpoʊ stɪdʒ /

noun

  1. the charge for the conveyance of a letter or other matter sent by mail, usually prepaid by means of a stamp or stamps.


postage British  
/ ˈpəʊstɪdʒ /

noun

    1. the charge for delivering a piece of mail

    2. ( as modifier )

      postage charges

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of postage

First recorded in 1580–90; post 3 + -age

Explanation

Postage is the cost of sending something in the mail. If the postage for mailing your brother's collection of porcelain pigs is too high, you might want to bring them with you when you drive to his house instead. Use the noun postage for the expense of mailing letters and packages, or for the stamps themselves: "Don't forget to attach the postage before you put that in the mailbox!" Some people, in fact, refer to them as "postage stamps." Postage comes from post, "mail system": early mail carriers were "posted" along a road, like a relay race, to speed delivery.

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Vocabulary lists containing postage

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The legend of the Postage Stamp reached a new level on Tuesday when Bryson DeChambeau, the US Open champion, spoke about the devilish little par-three eighth at Royal Troon.

From BBC • Jul. 17, 2024

Postage and printing was his biggest expenditure, costing $1.4 million.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 18, 2023

Postage is not a large burden on most households because most of us do not spend much on it.

From Washington Post • Apr. 23, 2023

Postage bearing the image of the late Queen Elizabeth II will continue to be sold at retail outlets until stocks are exhausted, Royal Mail said.

From Washington Times • Feb. 8, 2023

Postage to America now cost fourteen Zim dollars—two weekends' worth of tips.

From "I Will Always Write Back" by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda