correspondent

American  

[kawr-uh-spon-duhnt, kor-] / ˌkɔr əˈspɒn dənt, ˌkɒr- /

noun

1. a person who communicates by letters.

2. a person employed by a news agency, periodical, television network, etc., to gather, report, or contribute news, articles, and the like regularly from a distant place.

3. a person who contributes a letter or letters to a newspaper, magazine, etc.

4. a person or firm that has regular business relations with another, especially at a distance.

5. a thing that corresponds to something else.

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adjective

1. consistent, similar, or analogous; corresponding.

correspondent British  

/ ˌkɒrɪˈspɒndənt /

noun

1. a person who communicates by letter or by letters

2. a person employed by a newspaper, etc, to report on a special subject or to send reports from a foreign country

3. a person or firm that has regular business relations with another, esp one in a different part of the country or abroad

4. something that corresponds to another

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adjective

1. similar or analogous

Other Word Forms

• correspondently adverb
• noncorrespondent adjective
• precorrespondent adjective

Etymology

Origin of correspondent

1375–1425; late Middle English < Medieval Latin corrēspondent- (stem of corrēspondēns ), present participle of corrēspondēre to correspond; -ent

Explanation

A correspondent is a reporter who writes or records stories on one topic or from one region. If you're hired as a radio station's financial correspondent, you'll need to do a lot of research on the economy. A journalist might work as a TV station's Middle East correspondent or a newspaper's education correspondent. You can also call yourself a correspondent if you're a regular letter or email writer, corresponding, or communicating, with someone. As an adjective, though, correspondent means "matching or agreeing." The word is rooted in the Medieval Latin correspondere, "to answer together."

Example Sentences

"It is quite possible that he could have a battle royale with Scottie Scheffler in a month's time at the US PGA - that would be amazing," said BBC golf correspondent Iain Carter.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

Guest: Idrees Ali, national security correspondent at Reuters.

From Slate • Apr. 7, 2026

An AFP correspondent in Kuwait City said there had been no disruption to power or water services.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Michael spent eight years as a foreign correspondent and bureau chief, with postings in London, Dubai and Tel Aviv.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

A war correspondent triumphantly announced that the lodgment area from which the Allied Armies would soon launch their major offensive into the heart of occupied France was now adequate and secure.

From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok

Related Words

• contributor
• journalist
• reporter
• writer