email

1 of 2

noun

ˈē-ˌmāl 

variants or e-mail

1

: a means or system for transmitting messages electronically (as between computers on a network)

communicating by email

2

a

: messages sent and received electronically through an email system

receives a lot of email

b

plural emails or e-mails : an email message

sent him an email

email

2 of 2

verb

variants or e-mail

emailed or e-mailed; emailing or e-mailing; emails or e-mails

transitive verb

1

: to send email to (someone)

She emailed her mom.

2

: to send (something) by email

I'll email the documents tomorrow.

intransitive verb

: to communicate by email

As I write this, a colleague who takes an amateur interest in tracking the weather emailed to say it would be "among the hottest days of 2019 so far, if not #1."

—Nina Metz

Examples of email in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Soho lofts and prewar buildings with smaller flowers in Lower Manhattan are both easier to deal with, Marvel said to CNN via email. — Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 8 July 2026

Once a change is underway, build a real feedback loop, not a survey or a Q&A box at the bottom of an email. — David Grossman, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

Verb

Enrique Duran, a Parks and Recreation district manager, emailed Gechter and the full committee to say that Parks and Recreation would be taking the lead on coordinating the installation. — Walker Armstrong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 July 2026

None of the series sponsors replied to Forbes’ emailed questions except Shell, which declined to comment for this story. — Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

electronic mail

First Known Use

Noun

1979, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1983, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing email

• junk email

Rhymes for email

• airmail
• assail
• avail
• bewail
• blackmail
• cattail
• cocktail
• curtail
• derail
• detail
• dovetail
• entail

Kids Definition

email

noun

variants or e-mail

ˈē-ˌmāl 

1

: a system for sending messages between computers

2

a

: messages sent through an email system

receives a lot of email

b

: an email message

sent him an email

email verb

or e-mail

emailer

-ˌmāl-ər

noun

or e-mailer