envelope
noun
en·ve·lope
ˈen-və-ˌlōp 
ˈän-
ˈän-
1
: a flat usually paper container (as for a letter)
3
a
: the outer covering of an aerostat
b
: the bag containing the gas in a balloon or airship
4
a
: a natural enclosing covering (such as a membrane, shell, or integument)
b
: a lipoprotein unit membrane that forms the outer layer of some virions
5
a
: a curve tangent to each of a family of curves
b
: a surface tangent to each of a family of surfaces
6
: a set of performance limits (as of an aircraft) that may not be safely exceeded
also
: the set of operating parameters that exists within these limits
7
: a conventionally accepted limit
new computers that push the envelope
How do you pronounce envelope?: Usage Guide
The \ˈen-\ and \ˈän-\ pronunciations are used with about equal frequency, and both are fully acceptable, though the \ˈän-\ version is sometimes decried as "pseudo-French." Actually \ˈän-\ is exactly what one would expect to hear when a French word like entrepreneur is becoming anglicized. Envelope, however, has been in English for nearly 300 years, plenty of time for it to become completely anglicized and for both of its pronunciations to win respectability.
Examples of envelope in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Will more brown envelopes be slipped under tables, all in the name of retaining or winning business?
—
Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2025
For example, some laser printer devices won’t accept envelopes or cards, while others ask you to feed these non-standard sizes by hand rather than automatically.
—Bestreviews, The Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2025
Scattered around the apartment were more than 50 envelopes of what appeared to be heroin — many marked with an ace of spades or ace of hearts.
—Michelle Tauber, People.com, 2 Feb. 2025
Send your stamped cards in a larger envelope to: Postmaster: Attention Valentines, 446 E. 29th St., Loveland 80538-9998.
—Laura Daily and Bryan K. Chavez, The Denver Post, 1 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for envelope 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2025
For example, some laser printer devices won’t accept envelopes or cards, while others ask you to feed these non-standard sizes by hand rather than automatically.
—Bestreviews, The Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2025
Scattered around the apartment were more than 50 envelopes of what appeared to be heroin — many marked with an ace of spades or ace of hearts.
—Michelle Tauber, People.com, 2 Feb. 2025
Send your stamped cards in a larger envelope to: Postmaster: Attention Valentines, 446 E. 29th St., Loveland 80538-9998.
—Laura Daily and Bryan K. Chavez, The Denver Post, 1 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for envelope
Dictionary Entries Near envelope
Cite this Entry
“Envelope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/envelope. Accessed 19 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
envelope
noun
en·ve·lope
ˈen-və-ˌlōp
ˈän-
ˈän-
1
: a flat usually paper container (as for a letter)
2
: something that envelops
3
: the bag containing the gas in a balloon or airship
4
: a natural enclosing covering (as a membrane)
Medical Definition
envelope
noun
en·ve·lope
ˈen-və-ˌlōp
ˈän-
ˈän-
: a natural enclosing covering (as a membrane or integument)
especially
: a lipoprotein unit membrane that forms the outer layer of some virions and surrounds the viral capsid
These glycoprotein complexes, swept up by the budding virus as it acquires its envelope, are crucial to HIV's ability to infect new cells. —William A. Haseltine et al., Scientific American
William A. Haseltine et al., Scientific American Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share