courier

noun

cou·​ri·​er ˈku̇r-ē-ər 

ˈkər-ē-,

ˈkə-rē-

1

: messenger: such as

a

: a member of a diplomatic (see diplomatic sense 2) service entrusted with bearing messages

b(1)

: an espionage agent transferring secret information

(2)

: a runner of contraband (see contraband sense 2)

drug couriers

c

: 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

Synonyms

• smuggler

Examples of courier in a Sentence

Police recently arrested a drug courier in our neighborhood.

A courier just left a package for you on the porch.

Recent Examples on the Web

The fentanyl was then smuggled by the Sinaloa cartel’s couriers, using vehicles and tunnels that went from Tijuana and other border locations into the U.S., according to the plea. —Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025

Last month, the courier’s other ongoing labor dispute was resolved when Canada Post’s second-largest postal workers union, the Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association (CPAA), agreed to new terms. —Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 8 July 2025

Austin Neudecker, Weave Growth YES: Robot couriers may stumble today, but over a longer horizon, their spread feels inevitable. —Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2025

As recently as 10 years ago, such travel was a complicated process: couriers rushed with sealed envelopes, embassy staff made dozens of calls to coordinate routes, and logisticians manually checked the documents issued. —Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French corier, courrier, borrowed from Italian corriere, from correre "to run" (going back to Latin currere) + -iere -ier — more at current entry 1

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing courier

• vaunt-courier

Rhymes for courier

• furrier
• spurrier

Kids Definition

courier

noun

cou·​ri·​er ˈku̇r-ē-ər 

ˈkər-ē-,

ˈkə-rē-

: a messenger especially in the diplomatic service

Etymology

Middle English courrier "a person who carries (runs) messages from one place to another quickly," from early Italian corriere (same meaning), derived from Latin currere "to run" — related to current