email

American  

[ee-meyl] / ˈiˌmeɪl /

Or e-mail

noun

1. a system for sending messages to one or more recipients via telecommunications links between computers using dedicated software or a web-based service.

   Communication by email is almost instantaneous.

2. a message sent by email.

   Send me an email about that idea, and I'll get back to you.

3. an address at which a person can receive email messages.

   He’s got my phone number and email in case he needs to contact me.

---

verb (used with object)

1. to send (a message or file) to (a person or organization) by email: I emailed the company but haven’t heard back yet.

   He emailed his response to the invitation.

   I emailed the company but haven’t heard back yet.

verb (used without object)

1. to send an email; communicate by email or exchange emails: We emailed back and forth for three weeks before actually meeting.

   She emailed to say she’ll be on vacation next week.

   We emailed back and forth for three weeks before actually meeting.

Etymology

Origin of email

First recorded in 1975–80; e(lectronic) + mail ¹

Explanation

Email is an electronic message that's sent from one computer to another. When you receive good news in an email, you can forward the message to your friends and family. Most email these days uses the Internet for connecting the sender and recipient. Unlike some other kinds of messaging, when you send an email to a friend, she doesn't have to be online at the same time to get your message. The next time she checks her email account, your email will be waiting for her. Email, sometimes spelled e-mail, is short for electronic mail, and was coined in the early 1980s.

Example Sentences

Does your follow-up email match the persona you conveyed in the interview room?

From MarketWatch • Apr. 11, 2026

“If you’re looking for a reason not to chase, this chart is for you,” Toomey said about the chart above in commentary shared via email.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 11, 2026

For weeks, salacious talk swirled in campaign circles, ricocheted through email chains and was served up, like a buzzy side dish, over gossipy lunches from Sacramento to San Diego.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

But the student said she had received an email on 26 March saying she wouldn't receive the last installment of her maintenance loan for this year, and may need to repay the rest.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

There were always the awful emails that came with any announcement of their Jewish Film Festival, but those were easy to ignore, especially once she figured out how to train her email filters.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny