postbox

American

[pohst-boks] / ˈpoʊstˌbɒks /

noun

Chiefly British.

a mailbox, especially one for public deposit of mail.

postbox British

/ ˈpəʊstˌbɒks /

noun

Also called: letter box. a box into which mail is put for collection by the postal service

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

postboxes

plural

Etymology

Origin of postbox

First recorded in 1745–55; post ³ + box ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

postbox postboxes

June Sheridan didn't realise the postbox was there and ended up taking her small parcel into the shop.

From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2026

BBC NI went to Newtownabbey, County Antrim, where there is a newly upgraded postbox.

From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2026

Boyd said he was not notified about the new postbox and didn't think it would be accessible for people of his age.

From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2026

Customers procure a barcode from an app, then at the postbox they scan the barcode and drop the parcel into a drawer - this is all powered by solar panels on the box.

From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2025

What would my pen pals say if I told them that I am standing at a detention center because I went to open my postbox for their letters?

From "Tasting the Sky" by Ibtisam Barakat

There are currently seven upgraded ones in Northern Ireland, and with more to come, postboxes across the country have been taken out of service.

From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2026

More are on the way, hence the black plastic while postboxes are upgraded.

From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2026

Have you noticed anything different about postboxes near you?

From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2026

Royal Mail is introducing 3,500 solar-powered postboxes across the UK, altering the iconic look of the red pillar boxes that have punctuated Britain's streets for nearly two centuries.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2025

Across the country that day, the ballots for year-end honors in Thoroughbred racing began arriving in journalists’ postboxes.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023