zip code

1 of 2

noun

variants or less commonly ZIP code

plural zip codes also ZIP codes

1

: a number that identifies a particular postal delivery area in the U.S.

2

: the geographic area identified by a zip code

zip-code

2 of 2

verb

ˈzip-ˌkōd 

zip-coded; zip-coding; zip-codes

transitive verb

: to furnish with a zip code

Examples of zip code in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Residents in a Stockton zip code have reported their mail is being stolen and worry someone may have access to the master postal key. —Carmela Karcher, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026

The number of Californians on the FAIR Plan skyrocketed in recent years, including in zip codes in or near the Eaton fire zone, where policies grew more than a third from about 7,000 in 2023 to about 9,500 in 2024. —Kyung Lah, CNN Money, 8 Jan. 2026

Verb

Gilbert provides a unique blend of exclusivity, privacy and proximity to everything the Valley has to offer, but without the zip-code premium that comes with other luxury neighborhoods. —Catherine Dunwoody, Forbes, 23 Nov. 2024

Socioeconomic status is one factor that can limit a child’s access to the arts, but things like race and zip-code can play a role as well. —Michelle Aslam, Dallas News, 10 Mar. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Noun

zone improvement plan

First Known Use

Noun

1962, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1962, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for zip code

• abode
• anode
• barcode
• bestowed
• boatload
• borrowed
• carload
• caseload
• cathode
• commode
• corrode
• crossroad

Kids Definition

zip code

noun

: a number that identifies each postal delivery area in the U.S.