What does mailbag mean?
A mailbag is a strong, portable bag in which postal workers carry letters, parcels, and other items for delivery. The word most often refers to the container itself: a postman may take several mailbags from the sorting office, sort them by route, and carry them to the appropriate delivery area. By extension, “the mailbag” can refer to the correspondence or documents collected together, sometimes suggesting a large, disordered, or especially consequential bundle. For example, a newspaper might say that a disputed report “reached the minister in the mailbag.” The expression is common in British and American English, especially in postal, business, and news contexts. While the related word “mailbox” describes a fixed receptacle for outgoing letters, a mailbag is designed to be transported and can contain mail for many different addresses. The word combines the older term for postal correspondence with “bag,” reflecting the longstanding practice of carrying letters in portable containers.
nounA sturdy bag used to carry letters and other postal items. By extension, it can refer to the mail collected or carried in such a bag.
- A bag used by postal workers to carry letters and other mail.
- The letters or mail carried in a mailbag, especially as a collective quantity.
"The postman emptied the letters from his mailbag into the sorting office."
"A bulging mailbag sat beside the counter at the end of the shift."
"The scandal reached the minister in a daily bundle of documents carried in the mailbag."
"The postman delivered the notice directly from his mailbag."
The regular plural refers to multiple portable postal bags or to multiple collections of mail.
"The empty mailbags were returned to the sorting office."
A mailbag turns a heap of correspondence into a postal route—and, figuratively, a bundle of news.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does mailbag come from?
“Mailbag” is a compound formed from “mail” and “bag.” The word “mail” in the sense of letters developed from an older term for a pack or bag of correspondence, while “bag” comes through Old French from a word meaning a sack or container. The compound therefore follows the longstanding practice of calling the postal worker’s portable letter container a mailbag.
How mailbag is actually used
The closed form “mailbag” is standard in modern English, although “mail bag” is also widely understood. The word is primarily practical and postal, though it can figuratively mean an untidy or substantial collection of correspondence.
Easily confused with mailbag
A mailbag is a portable container carried by postal workers, whereas a mailbox is a fixed or wall-mounted receptacle for outgoing mail.