variants or e-mail
Synonyms of emailnext
1
: a means or system for transmitting messages electronically (as between computers on a network)
communicating by email
2
a
: messages sent and received electronically through an email system
receives a lot of email
b
plural emails or e-mails : an email message
sent him an email

email

2 of 2

verb

variants or e-mail
emailed or e-mailed; emailing or e-mailing; emails or e-mails

transitive verb

1
: to send email to (someone)
She emailed her mom.
2
: to send (something) by email
I'll email the documents tomorrow.

intransitive verb

: to communicate by email
As I write this, a colleague who takes an amateur interest in tracking the weather emailed to say it would be "among the hottest days of 2019 so far, if not #1."—Nina Metz

Examples of email 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.
Noun
His nights ran until nine or ten in the evening, working through inbound emails. — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026 Phishing email and empty ring boxes Vardon’s article was primarily about how Knicks assistant coaches did not get rings on Tuesday when the team raised its first league championship banner since 1973. — Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026
Verb
Later that day, Public Works Director Jason Shykowski emailed employees, directing them to compile a list of projects completed in the 2nd District over the previous 10 years, along with approximate costs. — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026 The Montauketts’ attorney emailed the governor’s team a memorandum on basic legal principles regarding tribal sovereignty days before the 10-day signing window expired. — Jason Motlagh, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for email

Word History

Etymology

Noun

electronic mail

First Known Use

Noun

1979, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1983, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of email was in 1979

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Email.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/email. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Kids Definition

email

noun
1
: a system for sending messages between computers
2
a
: messages sent through an email system
receives a lot of email
b
: an email message
sent him an email
email verb
or e-mail
emailer
-ˌmāl-ər
noun
or e-mailer
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster