What does mailing mean?
A mailing is the process of sending correspondence or other items by post, or a particular batch of material sent in that way. The word can also refer to a mailing list, especially in organizational contexts such as fundraising, political campaigns, or customer communication. As an adjective, “mailing” commonly modifies terms such as “address,” “label,” and “list,” identifying something connected with sending material by post. In this usage, it is part of the standard compound “mailing address.” As a verb form, “mailing” is the present participle of “mail,” describing an action in progress, as in “The clerk is mailing the forms.” The word belongs primarily to postal and business contexts, although “direct mail” has become a familiar marketing term for promotional material sent to selected recipients. Although electronic communication now carries much of the traffic once handled by the postal service, mailing remains the conventional term for the physical preparation, addressing, and dispatch of items.
The act or process of sending correspondence or items by post; a batch of material sent in this way; or a mailing list.
"The nonprofit sent a fundraising mailing to former donors."
A mailing can denote either the process or a particular batch of material. The sense “mailing list” is common in organizational and campaign contexts.
Intended or designed for use in sending by post.
"Check that the mailing address is correct before printing the labels."
This sense is especially established in compounds such as “mailing address,” “mailing label,” and “mailing list.”
The present participle of mail, used to describe the action of sending correspondence or items by post.
"She is mailing the contracts to all three offices."
This is an inflectional verb form rather than an independent verb.
The plural is uncommon and generally refers to separate batches, campaigns, or acts of sending material.
"The two mailings reached separate regional audiences."
Mailing began as a way to move words across great distances; today, a single mailing can still connect a sender with thousands of recipients.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does mailing come from?
“Mailing” is formed within English from “mail,” meaning postal correspondence or the postal system, with the suffix “-ing.” The word “mail” comes through Old French from a medieval Latin form, though its precise older derivation has been debated by scholars. English subsequently developed several derivatives from this root, including “mailer” and “mailbag,” while “mailing” came to denote both the act of sending material and the material or batch being sent.
Related word forms
How mailing is actually used
In everyday use, a mailing often refers to a batch of material sent to a group of people. The adjective is especially common in the established compound “mailing address.” As a verb form, it is normally used in continuous or participial constructions, as in “She is mailing the documents today.”