as in letter
a message on paper from one person or group to another
the two old friends like to fire off missives filled with good-natured teasing and mock insults
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of missive
The first missives went out to Japan and South Korea, both of which have been engaged in discussions with U.S. officials that Trump has characterized as difficult.
—
Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 7 July 2025
And long missives, historically broken up into bite-sized messages over a few minutes, are sent in mere seconds thanks to significant hardware and software upgrades from previous iterations.
—The Editors, Outside Online, 26 June 2025
Israel's multilayered air defense system is designed to take down incoming missives from a variety of ranges.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 21 June 2025
Ogilvie, who had seen the woman’s photo on missives from the local elementary school, smiled back, honored to be in the presence of an L.A. legend.
—Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for missive
Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 7 July 2025
And long missives, historically broken up into bite-sized messages over a few minutes, are sent in mere seconds thanks to significant hardware and software upgrades from previous iterations.
—The Editors, Outside Online, 26 June 2025
Israel's multilayered air defense system is designed to take down incoming missives from a variety of ranges.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 21 June 2025
Ogilvie, who had seen the woman’s photo on missives from the local elementary school, smiled back, honored to be in the presence of an L.A. legend.
—Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for missive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for missive
Noun
-
Mayes wrote a letter last year to the BIA and its parent agency, the U.S. Department of the Interior, asking officials to fund crucial grid reliability updates as soon as possible and provide cooling centers and ice giveaways during power disruptions, among other actions.—
Sasha Hupka,
AZCentral.com,
23 July 2025
-
In his letter to Nessel, Runestad pointed to a recent criminal case involving an employee of the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency.—
Paul Egan,
Freep.com,
23 July 2025
Noun
-
As a proud dad, the 38-year-old wrote his firstborn a sweet epistle to acknowledge his birthday.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
7 Feb. 2025
-
One of the earliest witnesses to the spread of Christianity, the codex features the first epistle of Peter and the Book of Jonah.—
Lianne Kolirin,
CNN,
3 Apr. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Missive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/missive. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share