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

• postally
  adverb

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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

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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

See Examples For:

postal

Public and private education unions have called for strike action, as well as unions representing rail workers, public hospitals and postal services.

From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2026

Colorado’s Amendment 84 is a similar rule for postal votes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

In the lead-up to Nov. 3, the agency’s plan is to route ballots meant for local election offices to a nearby postal facility or directly to their destination.

From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2026

"The findings suggest the brain's norepinephrine system is far more like a targeted postal network than a foghorn," said Karel Svoboda, director of Neural Dynamics at the Allen Institute and study co-author.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026

It’s a short film that follows a middle-aged postal worker on her first trip to Paris.

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed

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