correspondence

noun

cor·​re·​spon·​dence ˌkȯr-ə-ˈspän-dən(t)s 

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

Synonyms of correspondence

• similarity
• resemblance

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

But surviving correspondence from her friends suggests the contours of someone who knew how to have a good time. —Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 22 Nov. 2025

While the fund discussed in the messages was never created, the correspondence potentially raises further questions about Epstein’s access to Gates’s inner circle and whether previous disclosures fully captured the scope of their interactions. —Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025

Most of the industry is online, with email and chat correspondence that charges men but not women. —Julia Meszaros, The Conversation, 21 Nov. 2025

Last week a House committee released emails showing years of personal correspondence between the two men, including Summers making sexist comments and seeking Epstein’s romantic advice. —Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 19 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see correspond

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing correspondence

• correspondence course
• correspondence school

Kids Definition

correspondence

noun

cor·​re·​spon·​dence ˌkȯr-ə-ˈspän-dən(t)s 

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