: 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
Gradually, those missives evolve from hostile taunts to flirtation and then settle on passionate, effusive, unlikely love, which runs contrary to their missions.
—
Emma Sarappo, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2026
After Republican Congressman Tim Burchett likened Jack White to Wednesday Addams in a snarky social media post to gin up a reaction from MAGA supporters, the musician responded on Tuesday with a 384-word missive on Instagram.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2025
Sharp, whose long face looks a bit like Prince William’s, was standing outside on the sidewalk fielding questions from colleagues and a stream of smartphone missives from his chief collaborator on the project—the movie director Wes Anderson, the installation’s headliner.
—Bruce Handy, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Even the Fashion Charter’s missive is riddled with good intentions that may or may not translate into meaningful progress, MacGilp said.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for missive
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Emma Sarappo, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2026
After Republican Congressman Tim Burchett likened Jack White to Wednesday Addams in a snarky social media post to gin up a reaction from MAGA supporters, the musician responded on Tuesday with a 384-word missive on Instagram.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2025
Sharp, whose long face looks a bit like Prince William’s, was standing outside on the sidewalk fielding questions from colleagues and a stream of smartphone missives from his chief collaborator on the project—the movie director Wes Anderson, the installation’s headliner.
—Bruce Handy, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Even the Fashion Charter’s missive is riddled with good intentions that may or may not translate into meaningful progress, MacGilp said.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for missive
Cite this Entry
“Missive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/missive. Accessed 6 Jan. 2026.
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missive
noun
mis·sive
ˈmis-iv 
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