open letter

American  

noun

1. a letter, often of protest or criticism, addressed to a specific person, but intended to be brought to public attention.

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open letter British  

noun

1. a letter, esp one of protest, addressed to a person but also made public, as through the press

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Other Word Forms

• open-letter adjective

Etymology

Origin of open letter

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

More than 200 community and environmental organizations, including a dozen from California, sent an open letter to Congress in December calling for a national moratorium on new data centers.

From Los Angeles Times

In January, Wilson warned in an open letter to potential Lululemon CEO candidates that a new leader alone won’t resolve the company’s problems.

From The Wall Street Journal

Wilson, in an open letter on Thursday, warned any candidates for the CEO job that the composition of the board would be crucial to the company’s success.

From MarketWatch

"As self-declaration is easily circumvented, this means underage children can easily access services that have not been designed for them," the ICO said in an open letter to social media and video platforms.

From BBC

In December, Engine Capital published an open letter urging UniFirst to form a special committee of independent directors and “initiate a thorough assessment of value-maximizing alternatives.”

From Barron's