correspondence

noun

cor·​re·​spon·​dence ˌkȯr-ə-ˈspän-dən(t)s How to pronounce correspondence (audio)
ˌkär-
1
a
: communication by letters or email
also : the letters or emails exchanged
I have a pile of correspondence on my desk.
b
: the news, information, or opinion contributed by a correspondent to a newspaper or periodical
2
a
: the agreement of things with one another
the correspondence between spelling and pronunciation
b
: a particular similarity
c
: a relation between sets in which each member of one set is associated with one or more members of the other compare function sense 5a

Examples of correspondence in a Sentence

They communicated by telephone and correspondence. E-mail correspondence has become extremely important for modern businesses. The two men began a correspondence that would continue throughout their lives. A book of the author's personal correspondence was published early last year. A formal tone is always used in business correspondence. Note the correspondence of each number to a location on the map. Sometimes there is little correspondence between the way a word is spelled and the way it is pronounced in English. Sometimes there are few correspondences between spelling and pronunciation.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Generative AI correspondence, too, is soon to be a regular part of criminal investigations and trials. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2025 When Pulte didn’t follow through, the veteran was upset and made public his correspondence with Pulte. Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2025 Her correspondence with these men was meticulous — and Belle set the terms. Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025 The combination of their privilege and their family’s mobility—scattered by war, public service, and personal ambition—created a rich trove of correspondence, more of which has surfaced since Chernow published Hamilton. Jane Kamensky, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for correspondence

Word History

Etymology

see correspond

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of correspondence was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Correspondence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/correspondence. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

correspondence

noun
cor·​re·​spon·​dence ˌkȯr-ə-ˈspän-dən(t)s How to pronounce correspondence (audio)
1
a
: agreement between certain things
b
: a point of similarity
c
: a relation between sets in which each member of one set is matched to one or more members of the other set
2
a
: communication by letters
b
: the letters exchanged

More from Merriam-Webster on correspondence

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