postmaster
Americannoun
-
the official in charge of a post office.
-
(formerly) the master of a station that furnished post horses to travelers.
noun
-
Also (feminine): postmistress. an official in charge of a local post office
-
the person responsible for managing the electronic mail at a site
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of postmaster
Explanation
A postmaster is the person who manages a post office. It's ultimately the postmaster's responsibility to make sure your mail is delivered on time. For three years, Abraham Lincoln was postmaster of the New Salem, Illinois, post office. Back then, this was an appointed position, and postmasters of large post offices were appointed by the president. Today, if you want to be a postmaster you should start by getting a job delivering or sorting mail and work your way up. The postmaster general heads up the entire U.S. Postal Service. Postmaster comes from post, or "mail," and the Latin magister, "director."
Vocabulary lists containing postmaster
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.
Both the postmaster general and Congress choose to ignore the elephant in the room—the American Postal Workers Union.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026
Sadly, her aunt turns out to be dead, but Quartz Creek’s postmaster encourages Selena to move into her house anyway.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026
U.S. in 1926, which held that the president could remove a postmaster in Oregon.
From Salon • Oct. 8, 2025
The 24-year-old said she would be part of a core team of five people - the other roles were a wildlife monitor, shop manager, base leader, and postmaster.
From BBC • Oct. 15, 2024
Thirty-one Sing Sing wardens had lasted only little over a year; they included a steamfitter, a coal dealer, a horseman, a postmaster, a customs revenue collector, a millionaire and philanthropist, and “assorted ward-heelers.”
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
