postbox

American  

[pohst-boks] / ˈpoʊstˌbɒks /

noun

Chiefly British.

• postboxes
  plural

1. a mailbox, especially one for public deposit of mail.

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postbox British  

/ ˈpəʊstˌbɒks /

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• postboxes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of postbox

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

postbox postboxes

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

Royal Mail said residents can use another nearby postbox or hand stamped letters to their postman or woman.

From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2026

"Our message is clear, if you have a Royal Mail label on your parcel, and it fits, put it in a postbox and we'll do the rest," Mr Clarkson said.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2025

Two designs were trialled in the pilot, including one where the entire round lid of the postbox was black.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2025

On some days, I wish I could stay inside my postbox, with a tiny pillow made from a stamp with a flower on it.

From "Tasting the Sky" by Ibtisam Barakat

Have you noticed anything different about postboxes near you?

From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2026

Seven "postboxes of the future" are in place in Northern Ireland, of 3,500 planned across the UK.

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

Customers use the new postboxes by scanning a bar code on the parcel and dropping it into a drawer - all powered by small solar panels on the top of the box.

From BBC ● Apr. 10, 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