What does postmarked mean?
Postmarked is an adjective describing a letter, card, envelope, parcel, or other item that carries a postmark: the cancellation or date mark applied by the postal service. In everyday use, it may simply mean that the item has been through the mail, as in “a postmarked envelope.” In legal, historical, and business contexts, however, the postmark can establish an approximate mailing date, making it useful when the exact date on a document is disputed or when proof of timely sending matters. The word combines “post,” in the sense of postal service, with “marked.” It is especially associated with correspondence and documents, where the mark can preserve evidence of where and when the item was processed.
adjectivePostmarked means bearing a postal cancellation mark that records when and where an item was processed by the postal service. It is commonly used of letters, cards, and parcels.
- Bearing a postal cancellation or date mark.
"She sent the invitation in a postmarked envelope so that the date of its mailing could be verified."
"The museum received the letter with a postmarked envelope dated 1902."
"The postmarked parcel provides evidence that the package was mailed before the deadline."
A postmark quietly preserves the history of a journey through the mail, showing where and when it passed through the postal system.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does postmarked come from?
“Postmarked” is formed from “post,” referring to the postal service, and the past participle “marked.” The related noun “postmark” developed in the 19th century for the marks used to cancel stamps and record postal information. Its roots lie in the wider postal vocabulary, including “postage,” “postal,” and “postmaster.”
Related word forms
How postmarked is actually used
The term is primarily used with letters and other postal items; in formal or legal contexts, the date shown by a postmark may be significant as evidence of when an item entered the mail.
Easily confused with postmarked
A postmark is the mark itself, whereas a postmarked item is an object bearing that mark.