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

The deputy postmaster general was in a position of considerable embarrassment.

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