postmark

1 of 2

noun

post·​mark ˈpōs(t)-ˌmärk 

: an official postal marking on a piece of mail

specifically : a mark showing the post office and date of mailing

postmark

2 of 2

verb

postmarked; postmarking; postmarks

transitive verb

: to put a postmark on

Examples of postmark in a Sentence

Verb

The package was postmarked 13 February.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Starting in 2026, the USPS will no longer guarantee same-day postmarks on mailed returns, meaning taxpayers who wait until April 15 to drop their envelope in a mailbox risk having the IRS treat it as late. —Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026

The postmark is proof of when the ballot came into possession of the Post Office and left the hands of the voter. —New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 23 Mar. 2026

Verb

Massachusetts requires mail-in ballots to be counted by the close of Election Day, except for the biennial state election which allows three extra days for ballots to be counted that are postmarked by Election Day. —Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2026

The Republican National Committee and Libertarian Party sued to overturn Mississippi's law permitting the counting of mail ballots postmarked by Election Day that arrive up to five days later, the case the high court is now considering. —ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1678, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1716, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for postmark

• ballpark
• benchmark
• birthmark
• daymark
• earmark
• embark
• hallmark
• landmark
• monarch
• remark
• skylark
• tetrarch

Kids Definition

postmark

noun

post·​mark

-ˌmärk

: a mark canceling the postage stamp on a piece of mail and giving the date and place of sending

postmark verb