postmaster general

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noun, plural postmasters general.

the executive head of the postal system of a country.

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Origin of postmaster general

First recorded in 1620–30

Words nearby postmaster general

postlude, postman, postman's knock, postmark, postmaster, postmaster general, postmenopausal, postmeridian, post meridiem, postmill, postmillenarianism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use postmaster general in a sentence

The president is not authorized to fire or appoint the postmaster general, who serves at the pleasure of the governors.
House passes bills to open path to citizenship for young undocumented immigrants, legal status for farmworkers|John Wagner, Colby Itkowitz, Amy B Wang|March 19, 2021|Washington Post
On Thursday, the postmaster general struck a more conciliatory tone and repeatedly asked members for more resources, couched in what he described as a shared goal to improve mail delivery.
DeJoy asks House panel for more USPS money to support plan that includes slower mail delivery|Jacob Bogage|March 11, 2021|Washington Post
More than a decade of financial losses and a shifting marketplace provided the perfect setting for a new postmaster general with a successful career in the private sector to start overhauling the system in the name of efficiency and innovation.
How The Post Office Became A Political Football|Kaleigh Rogers (kaleigh.rogers@fivethirtyeight.com)|September 21, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
“They are hypocritical on this very issue,” Shearer said about Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder and other public officials.
Harry Shearer on The Dangerous Business of Satire|Lloyd Grove|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

It also contains some clunky passages of adultery, temptations of the flesh, and general sexual awkwardness.
Powerful Congressman Writes About ‘Fleshy Breasts’|Asawin Suebsaeng|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Closed courthouses, rogue clerks, and misleading statements from the attorney general as Florida welcomes same-sex marriage.
The Back Alley, Low Blow-Ridden Fight to Stop Gay Marriage in Florida Is Finally Over|Jay Michaelson|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“We would just as soon stay away from a group that will create controversy,” the Cubs general manager Sam Bernabe told the paper.
The Louisiana Racists Who Courted Steve Scalise|Jason Berry|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Your general reaction runs along the lines of: “When will these geezers give it up and go for a mall walk or something?”
The World’s Toughest Political Quiz|Jeff Greenfield|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A Yankee, whose face had been mauled in a pot-house brawl, assured General Jackson that he had received his scars in battle.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
In the year of misery, of agony and suffering in general he had endured, he had settled upon one theory.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
To others the fierce desire for social justice obliterates all fear of a general catastrophe.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
Finally, let me ask the general reader to put aside all prejudice, and give both sides a fair hearing.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford
General Lachambre, as the hero of Cavite, followed to receive the applause which was everywhere showered upon him in Spain.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman

British Dictionary definitions for postmaster general

postmaster general

noun plural postmasters general

the executive head of the postal service in certain countries

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

Cultural definitions for postmaster general

postmaster general

The head of the United States Postal Service. Until 1970, the postmaster general was head of the federal Post Office Department and a member of the president's cabinet. In 1970, the Postal Service was set up as an independent agency in place of the Post Office Department. The Postal Service is operated like a private corporation, although postal workers receive the benefits of federal employees.