postal
- 01 B1 Intermediate
relating to the system of sending and delivering letters and packages.
relating to the collection, sorting, and delivery of mail by a national or commercial service.
Simple“The postal service is usually slower during the busy holiday season.”
In context“The government introduced new postal regulations to standardise the dimensions of international parcels and reduce sorting errors.”
UsageUsually placed before a noun.
- 02 C1 Advanced
becoming suddenly and violently angry, especially at work.
becoming uncontrollably or violently angry; often used in the phrase 'go postal'.
Simple“He almost went postal when he found out his car had been towed.”
In context“The manager was worried that the constant overtime and lack of support would cause one of the stressed employees to go postal.”
UsageAlmost exclusively used with the verb 'go'.
Teacher's tipThis term originated from high-profile incidents of workplace violence at US post offices in the 1980s; it is very informal and can be sensitive.
“The postal service has faced years of criticism from politicians and the public over the slowness of its letter delivery.”
“Democratic lawmakers have likewise argued that the Postal Service is seeking to reconfigure election rules with the midterm elections just months away.”
From post + -al, modelled on French postal.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.