post office

American  

[pohst aw-fis, of-is] / ˈpoʊst ˌɔ fɪs, ˌɒf ɪs /

noun

1. an office or station of a government postal system at which mail is received and sorted, from which it is dispatched and distributed, and at which stamps are sold or other services rendered. PO, P.O.

2. Often Post Office the department of a government charged with the transportation of mail.

3. an old-fashioned game in which one player is designated “postmaster” or “postmistress” and calls another player of a different gender into an adjoining room, ostensibly to receive a letter but actually to receive a kiss.

---

Post Office ¹ British  

noun

1. a government department or authority in many countries responsible for postal services and often telecommunications

---

post office ² British  

noun

1. a building or room where postage stamps are sold and other postal business is conducted

---

Other Word Forms

• post-office adjective

Etymology

Origin of post office

First recorded in 1645–55

Example Sentences

She was a retired former post office worker living in one of the poorest districts in the country near Hungary’s eastern border with Romania.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Going to the post office or grocery store gives them the opportunity to unload while also allowing you both to cross something off your to-do lists.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026

Idris Suleiman Gimba, who works with the National Blood Service Commission, said there was also a blast near the post office.

From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026

Seema Misra, who ran a post office in West Byfleet, Surrey, criticised ongoing delays as an MPs' report found thousands were awaiting full redress, but said the main issue was accountability.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

On one side of the street there was Yount’s General—a combination general store and post office.

From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney

Related Words

• postal service