Electronic Mail (Email)
Definition - What does Electronic Mail (Email) mean?
Electronic mail (email) is a digital mechanism for exchanging messages through Internet or intranet communication platforms.
Techopedia explains Electronic Mail (Email)
Email messages are relayed through email servers, which are provided by all Internet service providers (ISP).
Emails are transmitted between two dedicated server folders: sender and recipient. A sender saves, sends or forwards email messages, whereas a recipient reads or downloads emails by accessing an email server.
Email messages are comprised of three components, as follows:
- Message envelope: Describes the email’s electronic format
- Message header: Includes sender/recipient information and email subject line
- Message body: Includes text, image and file attachments
