Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
mail-order buying

mail-order buying

3.3
Buying things from a catalog or website that come to your home
  • noun
  • /meɪlˈɔrdər ˈbaɪɪŋ/
translation icon : compra por correo
  • I enjoy mail-order buying from my favorite catalog.

Examples

  • With the rise of the internet, mail-order buying has become more convenient than ever before.

  • Before online shopping, many people relied on mail-order buying for items not available locally.

  • The company specializes in mail-order buying and delivers products to customers nationwide.

  • Have you tried mail-order buying for clothes?

  • Many people prefer mail-order buying because it allows them to shop from the comfort of their homes.

  • He enjoys mail-order buying for unique items that are not available in local stores.

  • With mail-order buying, you can easily order products online and have them delivered right to your door.

Synonyms

mail order
vsmail-order buying
20 2.1

Buying things from a catalog and having them sent to your home

also covers purchases arranged through internet services rather than only catalogs
online shopping
vsmail-order buying
  • Texting
13 1.6

Buying goods or services on the internet

focuses on purchases that arrive by postal delivery rather than instant electronic access
catalog buying
vsmail-order buying
  • Archaic
3.7

Buying goods from a catalog sent by mail to your home

is broader, also including purchases made via internet services

Antonyms

in-person
15 2.7

People are in the same place instead of online

How Remote

subscription
  • Texting
68 2.9
mail-order buying
3.3
order
810 1.0

Surface Forms

mail-order buying singular
mail-order buyings plural

Morphology

mail-order + buy

The meaning is directly compositional: 'mail-order' (ordering via the postal system or remote catalog/online service) combined with 'buying' (purchasing) yields purchasing goods delivered by mail. This is a common, cross-linguistically transparent compound pattern that a B1 learner who knows the constituents can readily infer.

Etymology

Mail-order buying comes from the old practice of sending a product catalog through the mail; customers would choose an item, fill out an order, and send it by post to the seller. That's why it means 'buying goods that are sent to you rather than bought in a shop'.