sender

sender — noun

1. a person or group that makes a letter, email, or package travel from where they

1.nounA2
Definition

a person or group that makes a letter, email, or package travel from where they are to someone else.

Example

The sender of the package forgot to include a return address.

the sender of [something]

Christopher checked the sender before opening the email message.

Common collocations
  • sender's address
  • return to sender
  • original sender
  • email sender
Synonyms
  • dispatcher

    more formal; used for vehicles or emergency services

  • shipper

    used specifically for commercial goods or freight

  • originator

    more formal; emphasizes who started the communication

Antonyms
  • recipient

    the person who receives what is sent

  • addressee

    the person a letter or package is addressed to

  • receiver

    the person who gets a message or item

Usage Note

Often contrasted with recipient or addressee. The word can also refer to a company or institution that sends bulk mail or shipments.

Common Mistakes

The sendor of the email
The sender of the email
'sender' ends with -er, not -or.

Word family

  • send
    verbA1
  • sends
    verbA1
  • sending
    verbA1
  • sent
    verbA1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Sender is the most general and common word for anyone who sends a message, letter, or package. Dispatcher is more specific, used mainly for sending emergency services (ambulance, police) or vehicles to a location. Shipper is limited to commercial contexts involving freight or goods. Originator is more formal and emphasizes who started the communication rather than the act of sending. Transmitter is technical and refers to electronic signal broadcasting; it is rare for everyday communication about mail or packages.

dispatchershipperoriginatortransmitter ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • sender address
  • sender name
  • sender information

Phrases

  • return to sender

Prepositions

  • from the sender
  • return to sender

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Sender comes from the Old English verb sendan (to send, dispatch) combined with the agent suffix -er (meaning 'a person who does something'). The word has been in use since at least the 15th century, originally for letters and human messengers, and expanded to electronic communication in the late 20th century.