e-mail

British  

/ ˈiːmeɪl /

noun

1. short for electronic mail

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verb

1. to contact (a person) by electronic mail

2. to send (a message, document, etc) by electronic mail

e-mail Scientific  

/ ē′māl′ /

1. A system for sending and receiving messages electronically over a computer network. E-mail is asynchronous and does not require the receiver of the message to be online at the time the message is sent or received. E-mail also allows a user to distribute messages to large numbers of recipients instantaneously.

2. A message or messages sent or received by such a system.

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e-mail Cultural  

1. E-mail has become one of the most widely used aspects of the Internet, because it provides a means of mass communication to almost anywhere in the world at high speed.

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Discover More

The proliferation of spam and the transmission of computer viruses through e-mail attachments are two of the more problematic aspects of this technology.

Other Word Forms

• e-mailer noun

Example Sentences

A Los Angeles County district attorney’s office employee was “wrongfully detained” by federal immigration agents on Friday, according to an internal e-mail obtained by The Times.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 17, 2026

"It was absolutely brilliant because instead of checking my phone and going on social media, I was checking my e-mail every five seconds," he said.

From BBC • Nov. 28, 2025

In 2021, an agent filed a complaint against Young accusing him of making “volatile, unprofessional phone calls” and “inappropriate comments” toward subordinates, according to an e-mail reviewed by The Times.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 13, 2025

"When we got the e-mail in July, we weren't sure it was real. McQueen is such a fashion behemoth, their shows are so beautiful and known for their theatrics," said programme manager Clare Jennings.

From BBC • Oct. 9, 2025

I’m using Saint Augustine’s address for this letter because Mom says you don’t have an e-mail address there.

From "P.S. I Miss You" by Jen Petro-Roy