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

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Etymology

Origin of open letter

First recorded in 1875–80

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

open letter

Six Nobel Prize-winning economists recently signed an open letter in support of the measure, but it has come in for some criticism elsewhere.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

Less than two months ago, 100 tech companies wrote an open letter warning the world to adopt a new level of cyber resilience in the age of AI.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

She appealed directly to Sánchez in an open letter last year: “You have the ability, the responsibility, and the power to change this,” she wrote.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

But last month, more than 800 businesses, including top UK chefs, wrote an open letter to the PM, saying there would be more pub and restaurant closures unless VAT was reduced.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

I sent out members to mingle with crowds and try to discourage any further violence and sent an open letter to all the press denouncing them for "distorting" and inflating minor incidents.

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison

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