snail mail

noun

1

informal : mail delivered by a postal system especially when contrasted with email : mail sense 1a

I avoid using e-mail to complain. I use the phone or old-fashioned snail mail.

—Arlene Silverman

2

informal : a nation's postal system : mail sense 2

The others have taken the traditional route: sending checks by snail mail.

—Stephen Gandel

Synonyms

• correspondence
• mail
• matter
• parcel post
• post [chiefly British]

Example Sentences

She still uses snail mail for paying bills.

I can be contacted by e-mail and snail mail.

Recent Examples on the Web

There's something extra-sweet about sending your sweetheart some snail mail. —Amanda Garrity, Good Housekeeping, 6 Jan. 2023

As snail mail declines in relevance, such stamp series represent an imaginative way for national postal services to generate revenue. —Jem Aswad, Variety, 5 Jan. 2023

Use these paper topiaries as oversized place cards or labels for self-serve food. Give your snail mail an extra special touch with an antique-style wax seal, available in a slew of designs. —Hadley Keller, House Beautiful, 9 Dec. 2022

While snail mail certainly has its charms, there’s no doubt that digital correspondence via email or text is faster and far less of a hassle. —Elise Taylor, Vogue, 7 Dec. 2022

Reservations can be made in writing (email, snail mail or online request form) or by phone. —Susan Glaser, cleveland, 15 Sep. 2022

With limited internet access, their primary method of communicating with the outside world will be via snail mail. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Oct. 2022

In an age where e-vites have become the norm, the couple went the old-fashioned route: snail mail. —Carole Radziwill, Town & Country, 4 Aug. 2022

Etiquette may dictate snail mail is the way to go, but in reality, digital invitations have become commonplace. —Roxanne Adamiyatt, Town & Country, 19 Aug. 2022

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Word History

First Known Use

1982, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

snail mail

noun

1

: mail delivered by a postal system

2

: mail entry 1 sense 4