courier

American  

[kur-ee-er, koor-] / ˈkɜr i ər, ˈkʊər- /

noun

1. a messenger, usually traveling in haste, bearing urgent news, important reports or packages, diplomatic messages, etc.

2. any means of carrying news, messages, etc., regularly.

3. the conveyance used by a courier, as an airplane or ship.

4. Chiefly British. a tour guide for a travel agency.

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courier British  

/ ˈkʊərɪə /

noun

1. a special messenger, esp one carrying diplomatic correspondence

2. a person who makes arrangements for or accompanies a group of travellers on a journey or tour

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verb

1. (tr) to send (a parcel, letter, etc) by courier

Etymology

Origin of courier

1350–1400; < Middle French cour ( r ) ier < Italian corriere, equivalent to corr ( ere ) to run (< Latin currere ) + -iere < Latin -ārius -ary; replacing Middle English corour < Anglo-French cor ( i ) our, Old French coreor < Late Latin curritor runner; current, -tor

Explanation

A courier is a person you trust with delivering important messages or packages. Let your mail carrier deliver your credit card bill and the form letter from the “Save the Orchids” foundation, but trust a courier with your book contract or birth certificate. Couriers are in a hurry. Do they saunter up your driveway the way a mail carrier does? No! Couriers are clearly on important business; they’re jogging. The word comes from a Latin word, currere, meaning “to run.” Nowadays, you might see couriers on bicycles, however, weaving in and out of traffic to deliver your messages on time.

Example Sentences

In October Polish and Romanian authorities said they thwarted a Russian plot to send incendiary packages through a Ukrainian courier service, including devices intended to ignite in Bucharest.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026

Her Alawi identity rendered her especially useful as a revolutionary courier; police never imagined her capable of betraying the regime.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026

Many can relate to the hustle: in 2023, Beijing courier Hu Anyan's memoir about the relentless nature of gig work became a national bestseller.

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026

Right now, I’m exploring three main options: a professional pet courier service; driving, which would take roughly 43 hours and require staying at dog-friendly hotels; and flying privately.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 20, 2026

The courier, whom Longstreet did not recognize, saluted, then for some unaccountable reason took off his hat, stood bareheaded in the sun, yellow hair plastered wetly all over his scalp.

From "The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War" by Michael Shaara