pen-friend

3.2

A person you write to and know only by letters, often never meeting

noun
/pɛn frɛnd/

: amigo por correspondencia

I've had a pen-friend in France for over ten years, though we've never met in person.

Examples

After months of exchanging letters, she finally met her pen-friend during the summer holidays.
When I was a child, my school encouraged students to get a pen-friend from another country.
I have a pen-friend in Japan.
Do you want to be my pen-friend?
I've had a pen-friend in France for over ten years, though we've never met in person.
After months of exchanging letters, she finally met her pen-friend during the summer holidays.
When I was a child, my school encouraged students to get a pen-friend from another country.

Synonyms

correspondent

vspen-friend

31 3.5

A person who regularly writes letters to someone

focuses on forming a friendly bond by letters rather than being formal and regular

pen pal

vspen-friend

18 2.9

A person in another country you write letters to and become friends with

is not limited to foreign contacts and can be local or abroad

Surface Forms

pen-friend singular

pen-friends plural

Morphology

pen-friend = pen + friend (transparent) = pen + friend

The meaning is a friend by letters (pen) and the compound is directly interpretable by learners.

Etymology

The word pen-friend comes from two simple words, pen ('writing tool') and friend ('a friend'). It was used for someone you become friendly with by writing letters, so a pen-friend is a person you know through letters rather than meeting in person.