post office: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1 (High Frequency, Very Common)Neutral. Used in all registers from official/governmental to casual conversation.
Quick answer
What does “post office” mean?
A public department or local facility that handles mail, including selling stamps and providing parcel services.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A public department or local facility that handles mail, including selling stamps and providing parcel services.
Can refer to the institution as a whole (Post Office Ltd. in the UK, US Postal Service) or to the specific building/outlet where postal services are conducted. Informally, can describe the function or act of handling mail.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minor lexical differences: UK uses 'post office box' (PO Box), US uses 'post office box' or 'P.O. box'. The building/service is referred to identically. In the US, 'post office' is the common term, while 'Royal Mail' is the UK brand, though 'Post Office' remains the retail and service name.
Connotations
Both carry connotations of a local, sometimes bureaucratic, government-associated service. In the UK, it may also be associated with broader retail services (banking, bill payments).
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both varieties. The acronym 'PO' is common in both (e.g., PO number, PO address).
Grammar
How to Use “post office” in a Sentence
go to the post officeat the post officework for the Post Officea post office in [location]send something via the post officeVocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Refers to an official channel for sending documents, invoices, or legal notices. 'Please return the signed contract by recorded delivery via the post office.'
Academic
Rarely used except in historical, social, or logistical contexts. 'The Victorian post office was a hub of community communication.'
Everyday
Extremely common for errands. 'I need to pop to the post office to post these parcels and buy stamps.'
Technical
Used in logistics, supply chain management, and civic planning. 'The algorithm optimises post office locations based on population density.'
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “post office”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “post office”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “post office”
- Using incorrect article: 'I am going to post office' (missing 'the'). Correct: 'I am going to the post office.'
- Spelling as one word: 'postoffice' is incorrect; it is two words or hyphenated (post-office) in some historical/compound uses.
- Capitalisation error: Not capitalising when part of the official proper name: 'She works at the Post Office.' (UK institution) vs. 'I went to a post office.' (any branch).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is standardly written as two separate words: 'post office'. The hyphenated form 'post-office' is now rare and mostly archaic or used in compound adjectives (e.g., post-office box).
In the UK, 'Royal Mail' is the company that delivers letters and parcels. The 'Post Office' is the nationwide network of retail branches where you can access postal, government, and financial services. Royal Mail staff deliver mail; Post Office staff work in the shops.
Yes, especially with the definite article 'the'. For example: 'The post office is slower than private couriers.' This refers to the postal service as an institution.
No, 'post office' is not used as a verb. The verb is 'to post' (UK) or 'to mail' (US). You 'post a letter' at the 'post office'.
A public department or local facility that handles mail, including selling stamps and providing parcel services.
Post office is usually neutral. used in all registers from official/governmental to casual conversation. in register.
Post office: in British English it is pronounced /ˈpəʊst ˌɒfɪs/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈpoʊst ˌɔːfɪs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “'Run it like a post office' (implying bureaucratic slowness, UK informal)”
- “'Going postal' (US idiom for extreme anger, derived from workplace violence incidents at post offices, now broader usage).”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of POST as letters you POST, and OFFICE as the place you do it. A POST-OFFICE is the OFFICE for POST.
Conceptual Metaphor
A NODE IN A NETWORK (connecting senders and receivers), A PUBLIC TREASURY (for stamps and financial services in some countries), A REPOSITORY OF COMMUNICATION.
Practice
Quiz
In which of the following sentences is 'post office' used INCORRECTLY?