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.

---

open letter British  

noun

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

---

Other Word Forms

• open-letter adjective

Etymology

Origin of open letter

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

The booking caused an immediate backlash, after which West updated his open letter to the Wall Street Journal.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

I first saw the Rev. E. Suzanne Wille’s name on an open letter signed by a wide range of Christian clergy members in Chicago.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

Then a 41-year-old property developer, Trump published a 1987 open letter through full-page newspaper advertisements arguing that the U.S. should show “backbone.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026

Film academy leaders apologized to ‘No Other Land’ co-director Hamdan Ballal for their initial response to his detainment, which members called ‘indefensible’ in an open letter.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 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