postal

American  

[pohs-tl] / ˈpoʊs tl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the post office or mail service.

   postal delivery; postal employees.

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noun

1. Informal. postal card.

idioms

1. go postal, to lose control or go crazy, especially in a violent way.

postal British  

/ ˈpəʊstəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to a Post Office or to the mail-delivery service

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Other Word Forms

• postally adverb

Etymology

Origin of postal

First recorded in 1835–45; post ³ def. + -al ¹; 1990–95 postal for def. 3, in reference to incidents of violence among postal workers in the early 1990s

Explanation

The term postal refers to an official, government-run mail service that delivers letters and packages right to your door or mailbox. Postal workers sort mail at post offices, sell postage stamps, collect packages to be delivered, and deliver the mail. When you're sending a package or letter to someone, you should include the correct postal code — also known as a ZIP code in the U.S. — in the address to help make sure it gets to the right place. The postal system connects people across towns, cities, and even countries by working to get letters and parcels to their intended destinations.

Example Sentences

In February, the committee wrote to Royal Mail asking for commitments to improve what it described as "chaos" in some postal areas since Christmas.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

The Journal noted that postal regulators still needed to approve the deal.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026

A postal worker in Wales said: "It just means that our boss can say that all rounds went out the door, knowing full well they are not going to be delivered."

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

State-controlled postal service Poste Italiane PST -0.09%decrease; red down pointing triangle has made a $12.50 billion offer to acquire Telecom Italia TIT -2.17%decrease; red down pointing triangle .

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

They were the postal workers and the struggling bookkeepers and the men lying on their couches at home without any job at all.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell