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Synonyms

postmark

American  
[pohst-mahrk] / ˈpoʊstˌmɑrk /

noun

  1. an official mark stamped on letters and other mail, serving as a cancellation of the postage stamp and indicating the place, date, and sometimes time of sending or receipt.

verb (used with object)

  1. to stamp with a postmark.

postmark British  
/ ˈpəʊstˌmɑːk /

noun

  1. any mark stamped on mail by postal officials, such as a simple obliteration, date mark, or indication of route See also cancellation

"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

verb

  1. (tr) to put such a mark on mail

"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

  • unpostmarked adjective

Etymology

Origin of postmark

First recorded in 1670–80; post 3 + mark 1

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.

She doesn’t quite understand how postmarks work—I don’t really, either—but I give my best explanation.

From Literature

“Mum must have put the mail under your door. Interesting. This is postmarked just yesterday. And it’s addressed to you, not Jakob,” says Colin.

From Literature

Postal Service postmarking procedures mean that if you drop your return in a mailbox on or shortly before Tax Day, April 15, you can’t count on having it postmarked that day.

From The Wall Street Journal

My college applications—each in its bulky envelope, larded with paper clips, staples and whiteout—had to be postmarked by noon.

From The Wall Street Journal

In total, there are 14 states that allow mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day to be counted, so long as those ballots are postmarked by Election Day.

From Salon

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.