special delivery

American

noun

(in the U.S. Postal Service) delivery of mail outside the regularly scheduled hours, by a special messenger, upon the payment of an extra fee.

special delivery British

noun

the delivery of a piece of mail outside the time of a scheduled delivery

"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

special-delivery

adjective

Etymology

Origin of special delivery

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

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.

A few weeks ago, I got a text from my grandma: “A special delivery is on its way to you.”

From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026

Matt Schodorf told me he was fresh out of whistles, and I thought of Clem, who agreed to meet me at Cafe de Leche with a special delivery.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 5, 2026

The BAS said "the Royal Household worked with Royal Mail to arrange this particularly special delivery".

From BBC • Dec. 14, 2025

Reclaiming ancestral practices is what drew Angela Quintana Aucapan to have her baby — Namunküra, or “firm step” in Mapudungun — in the special delivery room recently, while relatives played traditional instruments.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 27, 2022

Anyway I love you and want to get this off special delivery so you can get it in plenty of time if I can find a stamp in this madhouse.

From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger

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