Mailman Became Mail Carrier, and Britain Kept the Postman
A mailman delivers post in American English. The official title changed decades ago, but the old word has not gone away.
A mailman delivers letters and parcels in American usage. The United States Postal Service calls the job *letter carrier* or *mail carrier*, titles that cover everyone doing it. Britain never adopted mailman at all: there the job is a postman or, officially, a postal worker.
- A postal delivery worker (American, informal). *The mailman comes at ten.*
- Mail carrier — the neutral American title. *A city mail carrier.*
- Postman — the British equivalent. *Ask the postman.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | mailman | Our regular mailman. |
| Plural | mailmen | Two mailmen. |
| Neutral | mail carrier | A mail carrier's route. |
| British | postman | The postman rang twice. |
| Related | postal worker | Postal workers voted. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The mailman left a parcel with the neighbour.American, everyday.
- Letter carriers deliver to 160 million addresses.The official term.
- The postman knows every dog on the street.British.
Postal words
- Round — a postal worker's daily route, British
- Route — the American equivalent
- Sorting office — where post is sorted for delivery
- Franking — printing postage instead of using stamps
- Poste restante — mail held at a post office for collection
A compound of *mail* and *man*, recorded in America from the nineteenth century. The shift to carrier follows the same pattern as fireman to firefighter.
Mailman or mail carrier?
Mail carrier or letter carrier is the official and inclusive title. Mailman remains common in speech.
Do the British say mailman?
No. Postman is the everyday word, and postal worker the formal one.