Definition

1. Noun:
   • A method of buying or selling goods: "Mail order" refers to a commercial system where goods are advertised, selected, ordered, and delivered primarily through the postal service or a delivery company, without the customer visiting a physical store.
   • A purchase made through this system: It can also refer to a specific transaction or the goods purchased via this method.

Usage

• "Mail order" is used as a compound noun, typically functioning as a modifier before another noun (e.g., mail order business, mail order catalog) or as the object of a preposition (e.g., through mail order).
• It describes a retail model that was historically dominant before the rise of online shopping, which is its digital evolution.

Examples

• As a noun phrase:
  • She found the vintage dress through a mail order catalog.
  • The company specializes in mail order sales to remote areas.
• Referring to a transaction:
  • This bookcase was a mail order from a company in another state.
  • They processed thousands of mail orders every week.

Advanced Usage

• "Mail-order" as a hyphenated adjective: When used directly before a noun, it is often hyphenated.
  • He started a successful mail-order business from his garage.
  • The mail-order bride industry has been widely criticized.

Variants and Related Words

• Mail-order catalog (n): A printed book or booklet listing items available for purchase by mail.
  • Before the internet, people shopped from thick mail-order catalogs.
• Mail-order house (n): A company that conducts its business primarily through mail orders.
  • Sears, Roebuck and Co. was once a famous mail-order house.

Synonyms

• Direct marketing: A broader term for selling directly to consumers, which includes mail order.
• Catalog shopping: Shopping from a catalog, which is essentially mail order.

Related Phrases

• To order by mail: The verbal phrase describing the action.
  • In the 1980s, it was common to order by mail and wait several weeks for delivery.

Notes

• The term "mail order" is often associated with a pre-internet era. Its modern equivalent is commonly "online order" or "e-commerce," though "mail order" is still used, especially when referring to transactions that physically involve postal mail.

Noun

1. a purchase negotiated by mail