IMAP

American

[ahy-em-ey-pee, ahy-map] / ˈaɪˈɛmˈeɪˈpi, ˈaɪˌmæp /

abbreviation

Computers.

Internet Message Access Protocol: a set of standards used to retrieve email from a server so that the recipient can access it: allows synchronization of a mailbox across multiple devices, but not offline access to the emails.

IMAP British

/ ˈaɪˌmæp /

abbreviation

1. Internet Message Access Protocol: a way of accessing e-mail messages which are held on an internet server, rather than on an individual's computer
2. ( as modifier )
  
  an IMAP account/server

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of IMAP

First recorded in 1990–95

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Most email service providers, including Whidbey Telecom, support both POP3 and IMAP.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 8, 2022

Finally, an email account is one or the other — POP3 or IMAP.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 22, 2020

Apple also says that it's faster with IMAP, but the only massive improvement I'm seeing is a Mail app made by Apple that actually functions.

From The Verge • Sep. 29, 2015

So, how am I pulling this off within the limiting confines of IMAP?

From Slate • Feb. 24, 2015

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023