What does deliverymen mean?
Deliverymen is the standard plural of deliveryman, a worker who carries packages, food, documents, or other items from a sender to a customer or destination. The term is especially associated with workers who drive vans or trucks, though it can also describe bicycle couriers and people making deliveries on foot. In ordinary use, “the deliverymen” identifies a group of such workers, often as part of a routine scene: a driver unloading boxes at a shop, a courier leaving a restaurant, or a service bringing supplies to a home. The word is practical and generally neutral; it does not itself indicate whether the workers are employees or independent contractors. In contemporary commercial contexts, “delivery drivers” is often more specific, while “couriers” may emphasize speed, small parcels, or contracted delivery services. “Deliverymen” remains clear and idiomatic in British and American English and is particularly useful when the people, rather than their vehicles or the deliveries themselves, are the focus of attention.
nounThe plural of deliveryman: men whose work is to transport goods, food, documents, or other items from a sender to a customer or other destination.
- People whose occupation or task is to deliver goods, parcels, food, documents, or other items to customers or other destinations, considered collectively.
"The deliverymen brought the new dining chairs to the flat and carried them upstairs."
"The deliverymen brought the new dining chairs to the flat and carried them upstairs."
"The deliverymen's route was delayed by roadworks near the market."
The standard plural of deliveryman, formed with the regular plural ending -men.
"Two deliverymen brought the order to our office."
One makes a delivery; a whole crew of deliverymen makes the round.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of deliverymen
The English noun delivery developed during the Middle English period from Old French sources ultimately tracing to Latin deliberare, meaning “to weigh or deliberate,” before acquiring the sense “hand over or bring to a destination.” The occupational compound deliveryman was formed in the 19th century, and deliverymen is its regular plural. Related words such as deliver, deliverable, deliverance, and redelivery preserve the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How deliverymen is actually used
The word is generally neutral, although delivery drivers or couriers may sound more contemporary in some commercial contexts. The closed plural deliverymen is standard, although delivery men is also encountered.
Easily confused with deliverymen
Deliverymen are the workers who transport items, whereas deliveries are the items or acts of transport themselves.