junk mail

noun

|Updated on: 8 Jul 2018

Definition of junk mail

: unsolicited mail that consists mainly of promotional materials, catalogs, and requests for donations

See junk mail defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of junk mail from the Web

Mixed paper, which covers junk mail, magazines, telephone books and more, poses a particular problem.

— author: david goldstein, Anchorage Daily News, "Cities scramble to rewrite rules on recycling after China restricts ‘foreign garbage’," 3 July 2018
Whether hosting a fancy dinner party or covered in piles of junk mail (no judgment), your dining room table should be a reliable home staple that will last your family for years to come.

— emily heller, Curbed, "10 dining room tables under $1,000," 29 June 2018
The Waste Management facility recently paid a paper mill to take a load of junk mail and other mixed paper off its hands, Taylor said.

— scott dance, baltimoresun.com, "Rise of 'wishcycling,' plummeting value of paper and glass raise concerns about 'a new reality of recycling'," 20 June 2018
Facing the decline in the use of both first-class and junk mail, the Postal Service entered into a contract with Amazon to deliver packages, including on Sunday.

— joel naroff, Philly.com, "Would a USPS price increase for Amazon be effective?," 1 June 2018
There, in the stack of flimsy junk mail and our monthly magazine subscriptions, was the familiar shape of a holiday card.

— ashley edwards walker, Glamour, "Why Do So Many People Still Insist I Use My Husband’s Last Name?," 29 May 2018
Do not flush: Nappies, sanitary towels, paper towels, gum, old phones, unpaid bills, junk mail, your ex’s sweater, hopes, dreams of goldfish down this toilet.

— leah garchik, San Francisco Chronicle, "Tom Wolfe on the streets and architecture of San Francisco," 20 May 2018
Be sure to sort through your mail carefully so your rebate check doesn't get tossed out with the junk mail and call to follow up if your rebate does not come on time.

— The Motley Fool, "Boost your income: 27 things you're probably wasting your money on right now," 4 May 2018
The impact of junk mail creates a significant demand for vehicles to transport the stuff from post office to mailboxes and an increase in the number of carriers and other personnel to handle and deliver the materials.

— WSJ, "More Realistic Bulk-Mail Pricing Would Help USPS," 1 May 2018

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