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: a written communication : letter
wrote a lengthy missive to her father
Examples of missive in a Sentence
She received yet another lengthy missive from her father.
the two old friends like to fire off missives filled with good-natured teasing and mock insults
Recent Examples on the Web
These missives are of two kinds: dreams and videos.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 24 Oct. 2024
Between Musk’s calls to action, Trump’s own missives online, and all of the campaign’s online initiatives with right-wing creators and influencers, voter registration is quite literally only a click away.
—Makena Kelly, WIRED, 3 Oct. 2024
But Musk, with his megaphone of almost 200 million followers on X and his penchant for bluster, has been particularly pugilistic, with a steady stream of missives on X and letters to Congress over the last week.
—Richard Nieva, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024
The dispute has been building for years in back-and-forth missives between successive VA secretaries and the Veterans Community Oversight and Engagement Board, a 20-member body created by Congress to allow veterans a say in how their land was to be developed.
—Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2024
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Word History
Etymology
Middle French lettre missive, literally, letter intended to be sent
First Known Use
circa 1553, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near missive
Cite this Entry
“Missive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/missive. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
missive
noun
mis·sive
ˈmis-iv
More from Merriam-Webster on missive
Nglish: Translation of missive for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of missive for Arabic Speakers
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