email

1 of 2

noun

ˈē-ˌmāl 

variants or e-mail

1

: a means or system for transmitting messages electronically (as between computers on a network)

communicating by email

2

a

: messages sent and received electronically through an email system

receives a lot of email

b

plural emails or e-mails : an email message

sent him an email

email

2 of 2

verb

variants or e-mail

emailed or e-mailed; emailing or e-mailing; emails or e-mails

transitive verb

1

: to send email to (someone)

She emailed her mom.

2

: to send (something) by email

I'll email the documents tomorrow.

intransitive verb

: to communicate by email

As I write this, a colleague who takes an amateur interest in tracking the weather emailed to say it would be "among the hottest days of 2019 so far, if not #1."

—Nina Metz

Examples of email in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

What Happens Next Newsweek reached out to the Mexican foreign ministry for additional comment via email on Friday afternoon. —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 11 Jan. 2025

But in an email to members shared with NPR, the organization said that event will be delayed until Jan. 19. —Mandalit Del Barco, NPR, 11 Jan. 2025

Verb

To submit any news, please email [e-mail]. —Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2025

Anyone with video or pictures related to the shooting may email them to [e-mail]. —Stephanie Lam, The Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

electronic mail

First Known Use

Noun

1979, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1983, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing email

• junk email

Kids Definition

email

noun

variants or e-mail

ˈē-ˌmāl

1

: a system for sending messages between computers

2

a

: messages sent through an email system

receives a lot of email

b

: an email message

sent him an email

email verb

or e-mail

emailer

-ˌmāl-ər

noun

or e-mailer