missive
Americannoun
adjective
noun
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a formal or official letter
-
a formal word for letter
adjective
Etymology
Origin of missive
1400–50; late Middle English ( letter ) missive < Medieval Latin ( littera ) missīva sent (letter), equivalent to Latin miss ( us ) (past participle of mittere to send) + -īva, feminine of -īvus -ive
Explanation
A missive usually refers to the old-school style of hand-written communication on paper (remember that?), but these days you also might hear an email called a missive. No matter how you deliver it, a missive is a message. The noun missive comes from the Latin word missus, meaning "to send." You may have heard the phrase, "fire off a missive," meaning a note, memo or dispatch that was written and sent with urgency and conveyed an important message. It might have been a missive sent from a commander to the troops, telling them of a change in the battle plan. Or, maybe it was an urgent love letter to the commander's wife back home, telling her to tie a yellow ribbon round the ole oak tree...
Vocabulary lists containing missive
Send a Message: Mit and Miss
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Born a Crime
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"Simon's Saga," Vocabulary from Episode 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The missive, which could be a precursor to a lawsuit, opens another avenue of attack against the controversial $111-billion deal, which would transform the smaller Paramount into an industry titan.
From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026
Talking Points BMO Capital Markets External link April 17: This missive marks the seventh consecutive week of starting with commentary on the conflict in Iran, and it could possibly be the last.
From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026
Mr. Allport, a historian at Syracuse University, found this lovely missive in the digital archive of RAF Bomber Command, one of the many archives he has culled to put this book together.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
For nearly 14 years, I’ve returned to this contemplative missive through every bump in the occupational road or moment of professional strife.
From Salon • Mar. 22, 2026
When he wrote this last missive, Jorge must have known he would die before she received it.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
