postmark

noun post·mark \ ˈpōs(t)-ˌmärk \

Updated on: 19 Apr 2018

Definition of postmark

: an official postal marking on a piece of mail; specifically : a mark showing the post office and date of mailing

See postmark defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of postmark from the Web

Elections officials began posting results with a few hours left for voters to get a postmark on a ballot late Tuesday night.

— devin kelly, Anchorage Daily News, "Early results show Berkowitz has big lead in bid for re-election as Anchorage mayor," 4 Apr. 2018
Complaint forms must be given to the Board of Revision by 4:30 p.m. or have a postmark for Monday.

— staff, cleveland.com, "Comment here on cleveland.com court and crime stories for Saturday, March 31, 2018," 31 Mar. 2018
Her column became so popular that hundreds of letters arrived at her home at 6334 Prytania St. every day, bearing postmarks from around the world.

— mike scott, NOLA.com, "Dorothy Dix, journalism pioneer: 1 of 300," 1 Mar. 2018
Ballots must be delivered by Election Day; postmarks do not count.

— hillary borrud, OregonLive.com, "Have you mailed your ballot? Portland-area voters face Thursday deadline," 17 Jan. 2018
The first letter had a Memphis, TN, postmark and no return address on the envelope.

— jamie lisanti, Woman's Day, "Two Poison-Laced Letters Found in Washington, DC," 17 Apr. 2013
As if that weren’t enough, there is Loveland, America’s favorite postmark every February.

— Cincinnati.com, "Column: The world is a befuddling orb," 20 Sep. 2017
If the bomber was a Slav, that could also be a clue to his location: Brussel flicked through the postmarks, noting that most of the letters were mailed in Westchester, the county immediately north of the city.

— michael cannell, Smithsonian, "Unmasking the Mad Bomber," 29 Apr. 2017
If the bomber was a Slav, that could also be a clue to his location: Brussel flicked through the postmarks, noting that most of the letters were mailed in Westchester, the county immediately north of the city.

— michael cannell, Smithsonian, "Unmasking the Mad Bomber," 29 Apr. 2017

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

First Known Use of postmark

1678

postmark

verb

Definition of postmark

transitive verb

: to put a postmark on

See postmark defined for English-language learners

Examples of postmark in a Sentence

The package was postmarked 13 February.

Recent Examples of postmark from the Web

Applications must be postmarked by May 31 to be considered.

— Courant Community, "Community News For The Enfield Edition," 10 Apr. 2018
Artists interested in entering a piece must postmark their entries by Monday, April 9.

— rachel lebeaux, BostonGlobe.com, "Franklin juried art show and sale set for April 21-22," 4 Apr. 2018
Ballots must be postmarked by 8 p.m. Tuesday to be counted.

— devin kelly, Anchorage Daily News, "The Anchorage election ends Tuesday, and some say turnout has been disappointing so far," 31 Mar. 2018
Answers must be postmarked by Patriots Day, April 16, 2018, or e-mail time stamped before the first pitch of the Sox game that day.

— chad finn, BostonGlobe.com, "Test your Red Sox trivia knowledge. Plus, we want your season predictions," 29 Mar. 2018
Mail-in ballots postmarked by the end of the day Tuesday have 14 days to arrive and still be counted.

— emily k. coleman, Lake County News-Sun, "Former Lake County Board member leading in four-way race to rejoin board," 21 Mar. 2018
Here's how to pay: In person at the Summit County Fiscal Office, Treasurers Division, 175 S. Main St., 3rd floor, from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. By mail (must be postmarked by Feb. 23 to avoid late payment penalty).

— megan becka, cleveland.com, "Summit County property taxes due Feb. 23," 6 Feb. 2018
As for the thousands of prepayments submitted by mail, Michael Coveyou, chief of the finance department’s treasury division, said all envelopes postmarked by Dec. 31 hadn’t necessarily reached county offices yet.

— rachel siegel, Washington Post, "Montgomery has received more than 20 boxes of mail with prepaid property taxes," 3 Jan. 2018
Mail-in ballots have to be postmarked by the end of the day Tuesday and received within 14 days to count.

— emily k. coleman, Lake County News-Sun, "Early voting in Lake County sees boost in lead-up to Tuesday's primary," 19 Mar. 2018

First Known Use of postmark

1716

POSTMARK Defined for English Language Learners

postmark

noun

Definition of postmark for English Language Learners

: a mark placed over the stamp on a piece of mail that shows when the mail was sent and where it was sent from and that makes it impossible to use the stamp again