Standard Lemma guide

postage

noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈpəʊstɪd͡ʒ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /ˈpoʊstɪd͡ʒ/
  • CMU ARPABET: P OW1 S T AH0 JH Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: P OW1 S T IH0 JH Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The system of transporting letters, and parcels.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: post, mail

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The charge for posting an item.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The postage stamp, or similar token, affixed to an item of post as evidence of payment.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a small adhesive token stuck on a letter or package to indicate that that postal fees have been paid

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: postage stamp, stamp

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: token, item

5

noun

Meaning 5

the charge for mailing something

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: charge

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English post Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh2tos Proto-Italic *-ātos Latin -ātus Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icus Latin -āticus Latin -āticum Old French -agebor. Middle English -age English -age English postage From post + -age.

Across languages

Translations

32 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: пощенски разноски (poštenski raznoski) — charge
  • Catalan: franqueig — charge
  • Chinese Mandarin: 郵費 /邮费 (yóufèi) — charge
  • Chinese Mandarin: 郵資 /邮资 (yóuzī) — charge
  • Czech: poštovné — charge
  • Danish: porto — charge
  • Finnish: postimaksu — charge
  • German: Porto — charge
  • Macedonian: поштарина (poštarina) — charge
  • Māori: utukarere — charge
  • Māori: utu karere — charge
  • Norman: tîmbrage — charge
  • Norwegian Bokmål: porto — charge
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: porto — charge
  • Polish: porto — charge
  • Portuguese: porte — charge
  • Russian: почто́вый сбор (počtóvyj sbor) — charge
  • Spanish: franqueo — charge
  • Swahili: gharama ya posta — charge
  • Swedish: porto — charge
  • Turkish: posta ücreti — charge
  • Ottoman Turkish: اجرت (ücret) — charge
  • Chinese Mandarin: 郵票 /邮票 (yóupiào) — postage stamp affixed as evidence of payment — see also postage stamp
  • Danish: frankering — postage stamp affixed as evidence of payment — see also postage stamp
  • Finnish: postimerkki — postage stamp affixed as evidence of payment — see also postage stamp
  • French: affranchissement — postage stamp affixed as evidence of payment — see also postage stamp
  • German: Frankierung — postage stamp affixed as evidence of payment — see also postage stamp
  • Norman: tîmbrage — postage stamp affixed as evidence of payment — see also postage stamp
  • Russian: почто́вая ма́рка (počtóvaja márka) — postage stamp affixed as evidence of payment — see also postage stamp
  • Russian: ма́рка (márka) — postage stamp affixed as evidence of payment — see also postage stamp
  • Spanish: franqueo — postage stamp affixed as evidence of payment — see also postage stamp
  • Swedish: frankering — postage stamp affixed as evidence of payment — see also postage stamp
Real reading context

postage in complete knowledge articles