often attributive
1
a
: material (such as letters and packages) sent or carried in a postal system
sorting through the mail
also
: similar material distributed within an organization
interoffice mail
b
c
: a conveyance that transports mail
2
: a nation's postal system
a letter sent through the mail
—often used in pluralpackages sent through the mails
1
: armor made of metal links or sometimes plates
2
: a hard enclosing covering of an animal (such as a tortoise)
Synonyms
Examples of mail in a Sentence
Noun (1)
began receiving lots of mail after he became known as a frequent donor to charities
Verb
if you don't mail that letter soon, it's going to arrive late
Recent Examples on the Web
Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 3 Feb. 2025
The focus of the documentary is the 6888 Central Postal Directory Battalion, a U.S. Army battalion of 855 Black women that was sent during World War II to England and France to clear the backlog of mail in the European Theater of Operations.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025
Lawrence Mower, Orlando Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2025
The county currently has 13,800 vote-by-mail requests on file — a 95 percent decline from the number of ballots mailed to residents for the November election.
—Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 4 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for mail 
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Noun
Eligible individuals would have received a settlement notice via email or mail.
—Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 3 Feb. 2025
The focus of the documentary is the 6888 Central Postal Directory Battalion, a U.S. Army battalion of 855 Black women that was sent during World War II to England and France to clear the backlog of mail in the European Theater of Operations.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025
Verb
The county currently has 13,800 vote-by-mail requests on file — a 95% decline from the number of ballots mailed to residents for the November election.
—Lawrence Mower, Orlando Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2025
The county currently has 13,800 vote-by-mail requests on file — a 95 percent decline from the number of ballots mailed to residents for the November election.
—Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 4 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for mail
Articles Related to mail
Dictionary Entries Near mail
Cite this Entry
“Mail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mail. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
1
: letters or parcels sent from one person to another especially through the post office
2
: something that comes in the mail and especially in a single delivery
3
: a vehicle (as a train, truck, or boat) that carries mail
4
: the system used in the public sending and delivery of letters and parcels
do business by mail
5
: armor made of small metal links or sometimes plates
a coat of mail
mailed
adjective
ˈmā(ə)ld
Etymology
Noun
Middle English male "a wallet or traveling bag," from early French male (same meaning); of Germanic origin
Noun
Middle English maille "metal plates used on armor," from early French maille (same meaning), derived from Latin macula "spot, mesh of a net"
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