pen pal

noun

: a friend made and kept through correspondence

Examples of pen pal in a Sentence

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.
She was introduced to the case after a friend who worked at an organization that opposed the death penalty encouraged her to volunteer as a pen pal for an inmate on death row, according to The New Yorker. Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025 Mary Lou has also been pen pals with Margaret for decades, with the pair exchanging letters a couple of times a year. Sam Gillette, People.com, 13 Feb. 2025 Some users spent hours asking their new overseas pen pals questions about their respective countries and cultures, ranging from what school lunch is like in Wisconsin to what a typical apartment looks like in Chengdu. Makena Kelly, WIRED, 20 Jan. 2025 Former Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt was a pen pal of Parsons at one point. Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 15 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pen pal

Word History

First Known Use

1925, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pen pal was in 1925

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Cite this Entry

“Pen pal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pen%20pal. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

pen pal

noun
: a friend made and kept through letter-writing

More from Merriam-Webster on pen pal

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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