postal code

American  

noun

1. British. postcode.

2. Canadian. a mailing code system similar to the zip code in the U.S. and the postcode in Britain.

---

postal code British  

noun

1. US equivalent: zip code.  Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): postcode.  a code of letters and digits used as part of a postal address to aid the sorting of mail

---

Etymology

Origin of postal code

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

It is believed to be named after the partial postal code of his hometown in Texas.

From BBC • Jan. 16, 2025

“SW” are her initials, of course, and “SW19” is the postal code for Wimbledon.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 14, 2022

Depressingly, though, what we learn is they’re fighting to defend something as trivial as what postal code they wound up in.

From Washington Times • May 5, 2020

In some countries, the zip code is referred to as the postal code and looks very different than what is used in the United States.

From Encyclopedia.com • Feb. 5, 2018

One of the letters dated 1952 had a postal code on it that didn’t exist until twenty years later.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell