What does mailable mean?
Mailable is an adjective meaning that something can or may be sent by post. It describes letters, parcels, materials, or addresses that are suitable, permitted, or practically eligible for delivery through a mail service. The most familiar expression is "mailable matter," a term often used in postal regulations and business communications. For example, a postal service might reject a package because its contents are not mailable, while an online shop might advertise that it provides a mailable address for customers. The word is used in British and American English and is especially associated with official or procedural contexts rather than everyday conversation. It should not be confused with malleable, which describes a material that can be bent or shaped without breaking.
adjectiveCapable of being sent by post or another mail service; suitable or legally eligible for mailing.
- Able or eligible to be sent by post or mail service.
"The postal service returned the package because it contained non-mailable materials."
"The hotel offers a mailable address for guests who want to receive packages."
"The shipment was rejected because the contents were not mailable under postal regulations."
A letter can be mailable while a parcel remains unmailable, especially when postal rules prohibit its contents or form.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does mailable come from?
Mailable was formed in English by adding the suffix -able to the noun mail, meaning a letter, parcel, or other item sent through a postal service. In this sense, mail derives from Old English māl, meaning a bag or pouch, and ultimately from a Germanic word for a container or bundle. Modern mailable developed from that older postal sense of mail and is now especially common in formal postal terminology.
Related word forms
How mailable is actually used
The word is standard in both British and American English. It is especially common in postal and administrative contexts, as in "mailable matter." When referring to something sent electronically rather than by post, "postable" may be more natural.
Easily confused with mailable
Mailable means suitable for sending by post, whereas malleable means able to be bent or shaped without breaking.