mail order

noun

: an order for goods that is received and filled by mail
mail-order adjective

Examples of mail order in a Sentence

You can purchase the books by mail order. The store sent out all its mail orders in time for the holiday.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Shields Date Garden Known for its high quality dates, charming café, mail order business, and delicious date shakes, Shields Date Garden opened in 1924. Pat Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 6 Apr. 2025 The product was distributed in retail stores, and via mail orders, in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Florida, Georgia, Delaware and Nevada. Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 2025 For two decades following O’Reilly’s patent, tattoo artists tinkered with designs for tattoo machines, including ones derived from electric doorbells, which were gaining popularity through mail order catalogs. IEEE Spectrum, 30 Apr. 2021 They were distributed nationwide via retail stores and mail orders. Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mail order

Word History

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mail order was in 1856

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mail order.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mail%20order. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

mail order

noun
: an order for goods that is received and filled by mail
mail-order adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on mail order

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!