missive

noun

mis·​sive ˈmi-siv How to pronounce missive (audio)
: a written communication : letter
wrote a lengthy missive to her father

Examples of missive in a Sentence

She received yet another lengthy missive from her father. the two old friends like to fire off missives filled with good-natured teasing and mock insults
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
These missives are of two kinds: dreams and videos. Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 24 Oct. 2024 Between Musk’s calls to action, Trump’s own missives online, and all of the campaign’s online initiatives with right-wing creators and influencers, voter registration is quite literally only a click away. Makena Kelly, WIRED, 3 Oct. 2024 But Musk, with his megaphone of almost 200 million followers on X and his penchant for bluster, has been particularly pugilistic, with a steady stream of missives on X and letters to Congress over the last week. Richard Nieva, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024 The dispute has been building for years in back-and-forth missives between successive VA secretaries and the Veterans Community Oversight and Engagement Board, a 20-member body created by Congress to allow veterans a say in how their land was to be developed. Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for missive 

Word History

Etymology

Middle French lettre missive, literally, letter intended to be sent

First Known Use

circa 1553, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of missive was circa 1553

Dictionary Entries Near missive

Cite this Entry

“Missive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/missive. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

missive

noun
mis·​sive ˈmis-iv How to pronounce missive (audio)

More from Merriam-Webster on missive

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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