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

Derived 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

Royal Mail said it checks its delivery offices and sorting machines daily and it was likely the magazine had been somehow put back into the postal system by someone, rather than lost.

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said food warehouses, a postal building and a school were among the other facilities that were hit.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

The parties are well aware postal votes are beginning to arrive for those who have requested them.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

“Every single day, our postal employees serve their communities across dynamic, fast-changing environments,” said Leeann Theriault, employee safety and health awareness manager in the release.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

Doug Hansen, forty-six, was an American postal worker who’d gone to Everest with Hall in 1995 and, like Fischbeck, had reached the South Summit before turning back.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer