pen pal

noun

: a friend made and kept through correspondence

Examples of pen pal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The paper is keepsake quality, so expect your pen pal to keep your letter forever. — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 13 Feb. 2026

This may entail weekly video calls, yearly visits, or even a pen pal type exchange via traditional mail. — ​wendy Wisner, Parents, 7 Mar. 2026

Luna cited examples of crackdowns on Monday, including a bust on an incarcerated man running a prostitution ring from prison through a pen pal system. — Austin Turner, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026

Millennials and Gen Z are driving a big chunk of that growth, part of a broader analog trend that has people swapping streaming for vinyl, iPhones for film cameras, and Instagram for pen pals. — Avery Newmark, AJC.com, 20 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1925, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pen pal

• canal
• chorale
• corral
• locale
• morale
• royale
• artisanal
• bal
• dal
• gal
• mal
• sal

Kids Definition

pen pal

noun

: a friend made and kept through letter-writing