courier
noun
cou·ri·er
ˈku̇r-ē-ər 
ˈkər-ē-,
ˈkə-rē-
1
: messenger: such as
a
: a member of a diplomatic (see diplomatic sense 2) service entrusted with bearing messages
b(1)
: an espionage agent transferring secret information
(2)
: a runner of contraband (see contraband sense 2)
drug couriers
c
: a member of the armed services whose duties include carrying mail, information, or supplies
2
: a traveler's paid attendant
especially
: a tourists' guide employed by a travel agency
Examples of courier in a Sentence
Police recently arrested a drug courier in our neighborhood.
A courier just left a package for you on the porch.
Recent Examples on the Web
On Monday, the PRC approved the courier’s request to add an 8 percent fuel surcharge.
—
Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 7 Apr. 2026
Sam An, a pharmacist at a compounding pharmacy until 2021, told me that his workplace employed about twenty people—pharmacists, technicians, cashiers, couriers—in what resembled a chemistry laboratory.
—Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Johnson, 64, was a husband married for over 40 years and father of five children who ran his own courier company, CJS Express, his attorneys said.
—Madeline King, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026
In Ohio and Indiana, people can order Powerball tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.
—Cheryl Vari, Cincinnati Enquirer, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for courier
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show current usage.
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Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 7 Apr. 2026
Sam An, a pharmacist at a compounding pharmacy until 2021, told me that his workplace employed about twenty people—pharmacists, technicians, cashiers, couriers—in what resembled a chemistry laboratory.
—Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Johnson, 64, was a husband married for over 40 years and father of five children who ran his own courier company, CJS Express, his attorneys said.
—Madeline King, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026
In Ohio and Indiana, people can order Powerball tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.
—Cheryl Vari, Cincinnati Enquirer, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for courier
Cite this Entry
“Courier.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/courier. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
courier
noun
cou·ri·er
ˈku̇r-ē-ər
ˈkər-ē-,
ˈkə-rē-
: a messenger especially in the diplomatic service
Etymology
Middle English courrier "a person who carries (runs) messages from one place to another quickly," from early Italian corriere (same meaning), derived from Latin currere "to run" — related to current
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