Introduction

Publication 32, Glossary of Postal Terms, first appeared in 1974, and has been updated several times since then to reflect the introduction of new products and services, as well as advances in mail processing and delivery operations. The current edition is the result of a year-long effort by subject matter experts from every function within the Postal Service. These experts added hundreds of new entries, including terms related to the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006. Many existing terms were also updated when appropriate. Most obsolete terms were deleted, but some that might still appear in print were retained and cross-referenced to the current term.