envelope
noun
en·ve·lope
ˈen-və-ˌlōp 
ˈän-
ˈän-
1
: a flat usually paper container (as for a letter)
3
a
: the outer covering of an aerostat
b
: the bag containing the gas in a balloon or airship
4
a
: a natural enclosing covering (such as a membrane, shell, or integument)
b
: a lipoprotein unit membrane that forms the outer layer of some virions
5
a
: a curve tangent to each of a family of curves
b
: a surface tangent to each of a family of surfaces
6
: a set of performance limits (as of an aircraft) that may not be safely exceeded
also
: the set of operating parameters that exists within these limits
7
: a conventionally accepted limit
new computers that push the envelope
How do you pronounce envelope?: Usage Guide
The \ˈen-\ and \ˈän-\ pronunciations are used with about equal frequency, and both are fully acceptable, though the \ˈän-\ version is sometimes decried as "pseudo-French." Actually \ˈän-\ is exactly what one would expect to hear when a French word like entrepreneur is becoming anglicized. Envelope, however, has been in English for nearly 300 years, plenty of time for it to become completely anglicized and for both of its pronunciations to win respectability.
Examples of envelope in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Officers went to Berkowitz's apartment and noticed his vehicle outside had a duffel bag with a semi-automatic rifle sticking out of it, as well as an envelope addressed to the Suffolk County police.
—
Jessica Sager, People.com, 30 July 2025
The envelope would notify police that the driver is autistic and provide guidance for how to handle certain behaviors, such as stimming.
—State House News Service, Boston Herald, 26 July 2025
Roughly 45 seconds later, Van der Walt tried to add hot air to the envelope and close the rapid deflation valve but was unsuccessful, according to the report.
—Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 25 July 2025
Another envelope would follow with the state’s response, then another with the court’s opinion.
—Dakin Andone, CNN Money, 20 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for envelope
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Jessica Sager, People.com, 30 July 2025
The envelope would notify police that the driver is autistic and provide guidance for how to handle certain behaviors, such as stimming.
—State House News Service, Boston Herald, 26 July 2025
Roughly 45 seconds later, Van der Walt tried to add hot air to the envelope and close the rapid deflation valve but was unsuccessful, according to the report.
—Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 25 July 2025
Another envelope would follow with the state’s response, then another with the court’s opinion.
—Dakin Andone, CNN Money, 20 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for envelope
Cite this Entry
“Envelope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/envelope. Accessed 13 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
envelope
noun
en·ve·lope
ˈen-və-ˌlōp
ˈän-
ˈän-
1
: a flat usually paper container (as for a letter)
2
: something that envelops
3
: the bag containing the gas in a balloon or airship
4
: a natural enclosing covering (as a membrane)
Medical Definition
envelope
noun
en·ve·lope
ˈen-və-ˌlōp
ˈän-
ˈän-
: a natural enclosing covering (as a membrane or integument)
especially
: a lipoprotein unit membrane that forms the outer layer of some virions and surrounds the viral capsid
These glycoprotein complexes, swept up by the budding virus as it acquires its envelope, are crucial to HIV's ability to infect new cells. —William A. Haseltine et al., Scientific American
William A. Haseltine et al., Scientific American Love words? Need even more definitions?
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