Read along with the three podcasts, or open the full dictionary entry for Postage for the definition, Arabic meaning, synonyms and example sentences.
Narrator: Today's word is "Postage" — noun, pronounced /ˈpəʊstɪdʒ/, with the stress on "pos".
Narrator: Postage is the cost of sending a letter or parcel by post.
Narrator: In plain English, postage is the price you pay to post something through the mail.
Narrator: It comes from the noun post, meaning the mail service, plus the suffix age, meaning a charge or cost.
Narrator: "Postage and packing" describes the total cost of sending an item, including the delivery fee and the packaging.
Narrator: It differs from delivery because postage is the charge for using the postal service, whereas delivery is the act of bringing the item to you.
Narrator: "Free postage" is a common offer from shops meaning no charge for delivery on an order.
Narrator: Retail, e-commerce, logistics, stamp collecting and personal finance all rely on the word postage.
Narrator: So remember: postage is the cost of posting, from post plus age.
Speaker A: The shop charged me five pounds for postage. Is that the same as delivery?
Speaker B: Close! POSTAGE joins post, the mail, with age, a charge, and it means the cost of sending something by post, while delivery is the act of bringing it to your door.
Speaker A: So postage is the price, delivery is the service?
Speaker B: Exactly — you pay postage for the delivery!
Speaker A: Example sentences?
Speaker B: "Postage is included in the price"; "she paid the postage"; "they offer free postage" — a deal, a payment, and an offer.
Speaker A: Common mistakes?
Speaker B: Do not use postage for the act of delivery itself, since the word means the charge; and postage is uncountable, so never say postages.
Speaker A: Close relatives?
Speaker B: "Delivery" the service cousin, "freight" the goods twin, "shipping" the sea alternative. The postage keeps its priced, posted charm!
Speaker B: Let's use "postage" in AI prompts — useful for checkout tools and stamp calculators.
Speaker A: So a prompt could explain postage costs?
Speaker B: Right. For a checkout app, you'd write:
Prompt: Write a short explanation for a customer of why postage varies by weight and distance, naming two factors that raise the cost.
Speaker A: How about a stamp tool?
Speaker B: Ask the model to calculate:
Prompt: List the current postage needed to send a first-class letter and a small parcel within the United Kingdom, with one tip to save money.
Speaker A: Could it help with a selling guide?
Speaker B: Yes, you can advise sellers:
Prompt: Suggest three ways for a small online seller to reduce postage costs without slowing delivery.
Speaker A: One more?
Speaker B: For a returns app, try this:
Prompt: Explain in two sentences who pays the postage when a customer returns a faulty item, naming one consumer right.
Postage — meaning in Arabic & definition More P courses GL Dictionary