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
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Recent Examples of missive
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for missive
Noun
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Writer Robert Kaplow, a former New Jersey high school teacher who previously worked with Linklater to adapt his novel Me and Orson Welles, worked on the story for this — his first screenplay — for roughly 14 years after discovering letters from a young woman to Hart at an estate sale in New York.—
Trey Williams,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
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Both outlets reported that the letter included a demand for millions in Bitcoin cryptocurrency.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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As a proud dad, the 38-year-old wrote his firstborn a sweet epistle to acknowledge his birthday.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
7 Feb. 2025
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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 15 Feb. 2026.
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