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

See Examples For:

open letter

Her name as a possible presidential nominee was first put forward in an open letter signed by sixteen prominent Hungarians, including the inventor of the Rubik's Cube, Erno Rubik.

From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026

More than a thousand actors and producers sent an open letter protesting the merger in April.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

It’s built into enough of a mystery that Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, wrote an open letter to McConnell on Wednesday requesting that he update Kentuckians on the status of his health.

From Slate ● Jul. 11, 2026

The group’s open letter calls on Bonta to take action to thwart the Ellison expansion effort.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026

The week after Dan Lawrence’s story had been heard in Newton, Ross Milton printed an open letter in his paper.

From "Across Five Aprils" by Irene Hunt