Meaning & use
greeting card
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A folded or flat card with a picture or message that you send to someone for a special occasion.
Grammar: Countable: you can say a greeting card, two greeting cards.
Patterns
- a greeting card for someone
- send someone a greeting card
- a birthday/Christmas greeting card
I bought a funny greeting card for my sister's birthday.
She sends greeting cards to all her friends at Christmas.
The shop sells greeting cards, wrapping paper, and small gifts.
nouncountablecomputing
A digital or printed card sent online to mark an occasion, often with music or animation.
Grammar: Same countable use, but often refers to an electronic card.
Patterns
- an electronic greeting card
- send a greeting card online
He sent me an electronic greeting card for my anniversary.
You can design a personalized greeting card on that website.
Word forms
| plural | greeting cards |
|---|
Common combinations
- birthday greeting card
- She chose a colorful birthday greeting card.
- Christmas greeting card
- We received a Christmas greeting card from our neighbors.
- send a greeting card
- I always send a greeting card to my grandmother.
- greeting card shop
- The greeting card shop on the corner is having a sale.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- greeting noun
- A polite word or action when you meet someone.
Commonly confused: greeting card or postcard?
greeting card vs postcard
A postcard is a card for sending a short message, often with a photo, but it is not usually for a special occasion like a greeting card.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'greeting card' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The first option is correct because a greeting card is sent for an occasion like a birthday. The other options use 'greeting card' with words that don't fit the meaning of a card.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “greeting card”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.