postmaster general

American  

noun

plural

postmasters general

1. the executive head of the postal system of a country.

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postmaster general British  

noun

1. the executive head of the postal service in certain countries

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postmaster general Cultural  

1. The head of the United States Postal Service. Until 1970, the postmaster general was head of the federal Post Office Department and a member of the president's cabinet. In 1970, the Postal Service was set up as an independent agency in place of the Post Office Department. The Postal Service is operated like a private corporation, although postal workers receive the benefits of federal employees.

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Etymology

Origin of postmaster general

First recorded in 1620–30

Example Sentences

U.S. in 1838, which limited presidential control of the postmaster general, and Myers v.

From Salon • Oct. 8, 2025

Louis DeJoy, postmaster general, said the Postal Service goal is to make peak holiday season delivery “superior and routine.”

From Seattle Times • Nov. 20, 2023

The mail program based in New York City in cooperation with the U.S. postmaster general was a “source of strategic importance for counterintelligence,” Rocca told the Rockefeller commission.

From Washington Times • Jan. 1, 2023

The postmaster general was authorized to shut down newspapers deemed to threaten the war effort.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 3, 2022

In 1825, when the post office grievance was brought up for discussion, the lieutenant governor's party upheld the position taken by the postmaster general in England.

From The History of the Post Office in British North America by Smith, William, Sir