pen pal

noun

1. a person with whom one keeps up an exchange of letters, usually someone so far away that a personal meeting is unlikely:

   My niece in Texas has a pen pal in France.

pen pal

noun

1. a person with whom one regularly exchanges letters, often a person in another country whom one has not met Also calledpen friend

Word History and Origins

Origin of pen pal¹

An Americanism dating back to 1935–40

Example Sentences

If they have a pen pal, a wax seal kit will their letters look very special.

From Popular-Science

Whether the pen pals sent each other words of love or political secrets was a longstanding question.

From Science News For Students

A number of organizations have been formed to combat loneliness by connecting old and young, with older netizens serving as remote pen pals, homework helpers and mentors.

From Ozy

In a few weeks, I received thousands of emails and had regular pen pals…people who told me that I mattered and filled my heart with hope and joy.

From Time

When I was 10, I had a pen pal, a girl whose parents were friends with my parents.

From The Daily Beast

But Lovell says inmates who are involved in pen-pal relationships tend to do better in prison.

From The Daily Beast

Inside the death-row pen-pal business—and how felons bid for friends.

From The Daily Beast

Your pen pal correspondent in Russia, at least the second one, was Nina Atarina?

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• letter writer