missive

noun

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

Synonyms of missive

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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Raskin opened the missive by acknowledging that Paramount has not responded to his four previous inquiries in the past 12 months. — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026 Fresh off Jensen Huang sharing an open letter supporting open source last week, and the quasi-response from Anthropic's Dario Amodei, a pair of fresh missives made the rounds Tuesday. — Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 29 July 2026 Handshakes and High Fives Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon’s latest trade deadline missive includes a report that the Mariners may be willing to move RHP Emerson Hancock. — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 24 July 2026 After the National Park Service initially removed the site's original displays, stories about the legal battle, anti-Trump messages, pro-preservation missives and the text from the original displays were taped up on the walls at the site. — Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 21 July 2026 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

Rhymes for missive

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Browse Nearby Words

miss its/the mark
missive
Miss Nancy
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Cite this Entry

“Missive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/missive. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on missive

Nglish: Translation of missive for Spanish Speakers

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