courier

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noun cou·ri·er \ˈku̇r-ē-ər, ˈkər-ē-, ˈkə-rē-\

Definition of courier

1 : messenger: such asa : a member of a diplomatic (see diplomatic 2) service entrusted with bearing messagesb (1) : an espionage agent transferring secret information (2) : a runner of contraband (see contraband 2) drug couriersc : 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

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See courier defined for kids

Examples of courier in a Sentence

Police recently arrested a drug courier in our neighborhood.
The documents were sent by overnight courier.

Recent Examples of courier from the Web

A 54-year-old Lincolnwood man avoided prison time Thursday and instead got probation and a fine for trying to send cannabis to an out of state address in a Federal Express courier package.

— brian l. cox, chicagotribune.com, "Lincolnwood man gets probation, fine for trying to ship drugs via Fed Ex", 2 June 2017
Maria, who owns a courier company in the suburb of Doral, where Venezuelans are heavily concentrated, said her warehouse is full of boxes containing food and medicine waiting to be shipped to Venezuela.

— carmen sesin, NBC News, "Medicines, Supplies Grounded in U.S. After Venezuela Tags Them ‘War Material’", 2 June 2017
That rhetorical question aside, U.K.’s Mount Kimbie duo are forebears of the genre, couriers of an evolutionary phase shift in electronic music that solders ambient, brain-twisting hooks together into a curious sonic puzzle.

— aaron davis, sacbee, "One-hit wonder? Loyal fans will say this band is much more", 1 June 2017
In Cook’s eyes, everyone had to be punished, including the courier who shuttled the drugs into town and the dealer who sold them to the man behind the wheel.

— sadie gurman, The Seattle Times, "Work as cop molded view of prosecutor key to US crime review", 29 May 2017
In Cook’s eyes, everyone had to be punished, including the courier who shuttled the drugs into town and the dealer who sold them to the man behind the wheel.

— sadie gurman | ap, Washington Post, "Zealous prosecutor leading review of violent crime in cities", 29 May 2017
Another common drug offender is the courier, someone who is often law-abiding or small-time but recruited by a drug-trafficking organization to drive a load of narcotics across the border for a few thousand dollars.

— kristina davis, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Federal prosecutors union backs Attorney General Sessions' tough stance", 27 May 2017
The deal gives the U.S. courier access to S.F. Holding’s network of 13,000 customers, many of them small and midsize Chinese companies, UPS Chief Executive Officer David Abney said Friday on Bloomberg TV.

— michael sasso, Bloomberg.com, "UPS Forges China Joint Venture to Tap Country's E-Commerce Boom", 26 May 2017
For more than 150 years, messages of joy, sorrow and success came in signature yellow envelopes hand delivered by a courier.

— associated press, WIRED, "Telegram Passes Into History", 2 Feb. 2006

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'courier'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of courier

Middle French courrier, from Old Italian corriere, from correre to run, from Latin currere

First Known Use: 1579

COURIER Defined for English Language Learners

courier

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noun

Definition of courier for English Language Learners

: a person whose job is to carry messages, packages, etc., from one person or place to another
: a business that is used to send messages, packages, etc.
: a person who is employed by a travel company and whose job is to help people who are on holiday