mailbox

noun

mail·​box ˈmāl-ˌbäks How to pronounce mailbox (audio)
1
: a box at or near a dwelling for the occupant's mail
2
: a public box for deposit of outgoing mail
3
: a computer file in which email is collected

Examples of mailbox in a Sentence

On the way to work, I dropped my letters in the corner mailbox. She checked her mailbox daily, hoping for a letter from her son.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Galen Clavio walked into the student mailroom – back when student mailrooms were still a thing – and found an envelope stuffed in his mailbox. Dana O'Neil, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025 This mailbox is not being monitored. Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025 The area where our mailbox should be is being bulldozed to make a straighter, faster highway. Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2025 Other characters include Michael Myers hanging out near the mailbox and a giant-sized talking witch. Regina Elling, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mailbox

Word History

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mailbox was in 1868

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Cite this Entry

“Mailbox.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mailbox. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

mailbox

noun
mail·​box ˈmā(ə)l-ˌbäks How to pronounce mailbox (audio)
1
: a public box in which to place outgoing mail
2
: a private box (as on a house) for the delivery of incoming mail
3
: a computer file in which email is collected

More from Merriam-Webster on mailbox

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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