Pen Pal - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

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SKIP TO CONTENT pen pal /ˌpɛn ˈpæl/ /pɛn pæl/ IPA guide

Other forms: pen pals

A pen pal is a friend who regularly writes you letters. Even though you've never met him, your pen pal may live in France and send you poems by Rimbaud.

Most pen pals get to know each other through the letters they exchange, and many of them live in different countries. Having a pen pal whose life is very different from yours can be fun and educational — in fact, you might first get a pen pal's name and address at school. Traditionally, pen pals write letters, although it's possible to do this via email too. In the UK, the term penfriend is more common.

Definitions of pen pal

noun a person you come to know by frequent friendly correspondence synonyms: pen-friend see moresee less type of: correspondent, letter writer someone who communicates by means of letters

Pronunciation US /ˌpɛn ˈpæl/ UK /pɛn pæl/ Cite this entry Style: MLA

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Copy citation DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘pen pal'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback Word Family 2 million people are mastering new words. Master a word

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