What does postmaster mean?
A postmaster is someone who manages a post office or postal service, overseeing matters such as mail collection, sorting, dispatch, and customer services. The expression is especially familiar in the United States, where the Postmaster General is the official responsible for the national postal administration. The word was formed from “post,” in its older sense of postal affairs or the mail service, and “master,” meaning a person with authority over an institution or activity. Although the traditional masculine form has largely replaced “postmistress” in modern usage, the older gendered alternative may still appear in historical writing. The term also has a prominent national association: Benjamin Franklin, the American writer, statesman, and printer, was appointed the first United States Postmaster General in 1775. In ordinary speech, the word identifies the official in charge of a local postal office rather than the postal worker who delivers individual letters.
nounA person who manages a post office or postal service. The capitalized title Postmaster General denotes the official who leads a national postal administration.
- A person who manages a post office or local postal service.
- The official who heads a national postal administration, especially the Postmaster General.
"She was appointed postmaster of the small-town branch after the previous official retired."
"The postmaster arranged for the missing parcel to be forwarded to its destination."
"The Postmaster General announced improvements to rural delivery services."
The standard plural of the noun, used when referring to multiple people who manage post offices or postal services.
"The conference brought together postmasters from throughout the region."
Benjamin Franklin became the first United States Postmaster General in 1775, putting one of America’s best-known writers in charge of the colonial postal service.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does postmaster come from?
The word was formed in English by combining “post,” derived from Latin “posita,” a feminine past participle associated with placing or posting, with “master,” which comes through Old French from Latin “magister.” The compound developed in the context of the postal system and ultimately took the name of the person controlling a post office. Its capitalised title, Postmaster General, was established in the United States when the Continental Congress appointed Benjamin Franklin to that position in 1775.
Related word forms
How postmaster is actually used
The term is now often treated as gender-neutral, although it developed as the masculine counterpart of the older word postmistress. As a title, Postmaster General is capitalized; in the United States, it refers to the official responsible for the Postal Service.
Easily confused with postmaster
A postmistress was a woman who managed a post office, whereas the postmaster was the traditionally masculine equivalent.