mail order

noun

: an order for goods that is received and filled by mail
mail-order adjective

Examples of mail order in a Sentence

You can purchase the books by mail order. The store sent out all its mail orders in time for the holiday.
Recent Examples on the Web One word of caution when shopping for the gardener: be careful of mail order deals. Dennis Patton, Kansas City Star, 1 Feb. 2024 In 1868, Scotts started as a grass seed mail order company in Ohio, where the company is still headquartered. Debbie Arrington, Sacramento Bee, 30 Jan. 2024 Burpee, founded as a mail order company in 1876 in Pennsylvania by Atlee Burpee, is one of the most popular seed sellers in the country. Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Jan. 2024 Supervisor Cindy Chavez said adding a mail order program was the logical next step as many residents are already used to getting their prescriptions or COVID-19 tests in the mail. Grace Hase, The Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2024 Includes mail order Note: Adjusted for inflation using the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ consumer price index The pandemic supercharged a takeover decades in the making. Andrew Van Dam, Washington Post, 22 Dec. 2023 The First Cask bottles were originally sold by mail order, so the creators weren’t thinking about shelf appeal in the way that modern bottlers and distillers do. Mark Littler, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 There is, for instance, the sad but whimsical image of Hank Prior waiting at the air strip, stuffed bunny in hand, for his non-existent Russian mail order bride to get off the plane and give his pathetic life meaning. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 5 Feb. 2024 Dong Phuong’s cakes were already sold out online for both pickups and mail orders through Goldbelly, which meant customers had started to email and text Garza out of desperation. Joan Niesen, Washington Post, 23 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mail order.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mail order was in 1856

Dictionary Entries Near mail order

Cite this Entry

“Mail order.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mail%20order. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

mail order

noun
: an order for goods that is received and filled by mail
mail-order adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on mail order

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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