issue

American  

[ish-oo, is-yoo] / ˈɪʃ u, ˈɪs yu /

noun

1. the act of sending out or putting forth; promulgation; distribution.

   the issue of food and blankets to flood victims.

2. something that is printed or published and distributed, especially a given number of a periodical.

   Have you seen the latest issue of the magazine?

   Synonyms:

   printing, edition

3. something that is sent out or put forth in any form.

4. a quantity of something that is officially offered for sale or put into circulation at one time.

   a new issue of commemorative stamps;

   a new bond issue.

5. a point in question or a matter that is in dispute, as between contending parties in an action at law.

   Synonyms:

   crux

6. a point, matter, or dispute, the decision of which is of special or public importance.

   the political issues.

   Synonyms:

   question, problem

7. a point, the decision of which determines a matter.

   The real issue in the strike was the right to bargain collectively.

   Synonyms:

   question, problem, crux

8. a point at which a matter is ready for decision.

   to bring a case to an issue.

9. something proceeding from any source, as a product, effect, result, or consequence.

   His words were the issue of an intelligent man.

10. Often issues

    1. a personal or emotional problem.

       I had issues that prevented me from doing well in school.

    2. any problem or difficulty.

       Sorry I'm late—I had an issue with parking.

11. the ultimate result, event, or outcome of a proceeding, affair, etc..

    the issue of a contest.

    Synonyms:

    end, conclusion, upshot

12. a distribution of food rations, clothing, equipment, or ammunition to a number of officers or enlisted soldiers, or to a military unit.

13. offspring; progeny.

    to die without issue.

14. a going, coming, passing, or flowing out.

    free issue and entry.

15. a place or means of egress; outlet or exit.

16. something that comes out, as an outflowing stream.

17. Pathology.

    1. a discharge of blood, pus, or the like.

    2. an incision, ulcer, or the like, emitting such a discharge.

18. English Law. issues, the profits from land or other property.

19. the printing of copies of a work from the original setting of type with some slight changes.

    the third issue of the poem.

20. Obsolete. a proceeding or action.

---

verb (used with object)

issued, issuing

1. to put out; deliver for use, sale, etc.; put into circulation.

2. to mint, print, or publish for sale or distribution.

   to issue a new coin;

   to issue a reprint of a book.

3. to give or grant officially to a particular person or group.

   The United States is the first country to issue a patent for an animal developed using biological techniques.

4. to distribute (food, clothing, equipment, etc.) to members of the military, employees, students, etc.

5. to send out; discharge; emit.

verb (used without object)

issued, issuing

1. to go, pass, or flow out; come forth; emerge.

   to issue forth to battle.

   Antonyms:

   return

2. to be sent, put forth, or distributed authoritatively or publicly, as a legal writ or money.

3. to be published, as a book.

4. to originate or proceed from any source.

   Synonyms:

   spring, arise, emanate, flow

5. to arise as a result or consequence; result.

   a reaction that issues from the stimulus.

   Synonyms:

   ensue

6. Chiefly Law. to proceed as offspring, or be born or descended.

7. Chiefly Law. to come as a yield or profit, as from land.

8. Archaic. to have the specified outcome, result, etc. (often followed byin ).

9. Obsolete. to end; terminate.

idioms

1. at issue,

   1. being disputed or under discussion.

   2. being at opposite viewpoints; in disagreement.

      Medical experts are still at issue over the proper use of tranquilizers.

2. join issue,

   1. to enter into controversy or take exception to.

   2. to submit an issue jointly for legal decision.

3. take issue, to disagree; dispute.

   He took issue with me on my proposal for a new advertising campaign.

issue British  

/ ˈɪʃuː, ˈɪsjuː /

noun

1. the act of sending or giving out something; supply; delivery

2. something issued; an edition of stamps, a magazine, etc

3. the number of identical items, such as banknotes or shares in a company, that become available at a particular time

4. the act of emerging; outflow; discharge

5. something flowing out, such as a river

6. a place of outflow; outlet

7. the descendants of a person; offspring; progeny

8. a topic of interest or discussion

9. an important subject requiring a decision

10. an outcome or consequence; result

11. pathol

    1. a suppurating sore

    2. discharge from a wound

12. law the matter remaining in dispute between the parties to an action after the pleadings

13. the yield from or profits arising out of land or other property

14. military the allocation of items of government stores, such as food, clothing, and ammunition

15. library science

    1. the system for recording current loans

    2. the number of books loaned in a specified period

16. obsolete an act, deed, or proceeding

17. 1. under discussion

    2. in disagreement

18. to compel decision on some matter

19. 1. to join in controversy

    2. to submit an issue for adjudication

20. to disagree

---

verb

1. to come forth or emerge or cause to come forth or emerge

2. to publish or deliver (a newspaper, magazine, etc)

3. (tr) to make known or announce

4. (intr) to originate or proceed

5. (intr) to be a consequence; result

6. to end or terminate

7. (tr)

   1. to give out or allocate (equipment, a certificate, etc) officially to someone

   2. (foll by with) to supply officially (with)

issue More Idioms  

1. see at issue; take issue with.

---

Usage

What are other ways to say issue? To issue is to go, pass, or flow out. How is issue different from emanate and emerge? Find out on Thesaurus.com.

Other Word Forms

• issueless adjective
• issuer noun
• outissue verb (used with object)
• preissue noun
• self-issuing adjective
• underissue noun

Etymology

Origin of issue

First recorded in 1275–1325; from Middle English, from Middle French: “place or passage out”; from Old French (e)issue, from unattested Vulgar Latin exūta, noun use of feminine of unattested exūtus, Latin exitus “act or means of going out,” for the noun senses; from Middle English issuen, derivative of the noun, or from Middle French, Old French (e)issu, past participle of issir “to go out” (ultimately derived from Latin exīre ) for the verb senses; exit ¹

Explanation

One copy of "Celebrities are Cool" magazine is an issue. It is issued, or put out, by the publisher. You and your mother may argue over the issue, or topic, of whether or not you should read it. The original meaning of the word issue was to put something out. If a celebrity issues a statement or the post office issues new stamps, they put them out for the public. Likewise, an issue is a current topic, sometimes controversial, that is being discussed. Politicians often say they want to talk about the issues (and not their personal lives!). You might hear someone say, "He's got issues" about a person who has some problems, usually emotional ones, but this is a very new use for the word.

Example Sentences

This country is tiled with adrift twentysomething males, beset with incoherent politics, whose opinion about any issue is generated in the 10 seconds after they’ve been asked the question.

From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026

Three human rights groups called on Leo last week to push the issue during his visit.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

The issue has since eclipsed almost every other campaign theme.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

Then there’s the issue of the big jump in Founder and CEO Brown’s total compensation.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 12, 2026

The Freedmen were a Muscogee Nation–level issue and climate change was a global one—bigger than the scope of a group of teenagers working together to create short-format video content.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Related Words

• affair
• argument
• concern
• controversy
• matter
• point
• problem
• question
• subject
• topic