issue

noun is·sue \ ˈi-(ˌ)shü , chiefly Southern ˈi-shə , chiefly British ˈis-(ˌ)yü \

Updated on: 19 May 2018

Definition of issue

1 issues plural : proceeds from a source of revenue (such as an estate)

2 : the action of going, coming, or flowing out : egress, emergence

3 : a means or place of going out : exit, outlet

4 : offspring, progeny

died without issue

5 a : a final outcome that usually constitutes a solution (as of a problem) or resolution (as of a difficulty)

b obsolete : a final conclusion or decision about something arrived at after consideration

c archaic : termination, end

hope that his enterprise would have a prosperous issue
—T. B. Macaulay

6 a : a matter that is in dispute between two or more parties

b (1) : a vital or unsettled matter

economic issues

(2) : concern, problem

I have issues with his behavior

c : the point at which an unsettled matter is ready for a decision

brought the matter to an issue

7 : a discharge (as of blood) from the body

8 a : something coming forth from a specified source

issues of a disordered imagination

b obsolete : deed

9 a : the act of publishing or officially giving out or making available

the next issue of commemorative stamps

issue of supplies by the quartermaster

b : the thing or the whole quantity of things given out at one time

read the latest issue

—

issueless

play \ˈi-shü-ləs\ adjective

— at issue

1 : in a state of controversy : in disagreement

2 or less commonly in issue : under discussion or in dispute

See issue defined for English-language learners

See issue defined for kids

Examples of issue in a Sentence

She is concerned with a variety of social issues.
Water purity is a public health issue.
The President's speech addressed a number of important issues.
campaign issues like education and defense
The issue is poverty, not race: to talk about race is simply to confuse the issue.
The case involves some complicated legal issues.
He should stop dodging the issue and make a decision now.
There's an interesting article on page 12 of this issue.
the most recent issue of the magazine

Recent Examples of issue from the Web

Of course, Trump supporters and Tea Party activists could certainly find common cause on some issues, particularly immigration.

— jane coaston, Vox, "In 2018, the Tea Party is all in for Trump," 15 May 2018
There were the practical issues of daily life: DaLuise had spent thousands of dollars on braces a few years before her arrest.

— catherine womack, Los Angeles Magazine, "An L.A. Aesthetician Once Accused of Murder for Hire Is Now Offering “Killer Facials”," 15 May 2018
In fact, Lyft continues to require that its riders arbitrate their issues against the company.

— johana bhuiyan, Recode, "Uber will now allow riders, drivers and employees to pursue individual claims of sexual assault in open court," 15 May 2018
Prison was worsening his hypertension and heart issues, their letters noted.

— chris graves, Cincinnati.com, "Pike County: Death in the foothills," 15 May 2018
When the Globe raised the issue, the GOP executive committee hastily called a meeting and threw out the rule — which barred the party leaders from taking sides in GOP races.

— frank phillips, BostonGlobe.com, "Scott Lively says he has enough signatures to get on the GOP ballot," 15 May 2018
Pat Christmas, the group’s policy program manager, said the committee had received calls about some polling stations not opening on time and other minor issues, but no major problems have been reported.

— rob tornoe, Philly.com, "Pa. primary election 2018: Live updates from the polls," 15 May 2018
Three years ago, at a conference on transatlantic issues, the subject of artificial intelligence appeared on the agenda.

— henry a. kissinger, The Atlantic, "How the Enlightenment Ends," 15 May 2018
And Tepper needs to address the stadium issue at the same time, preferably saying that Bank of America Stadium can be the team's home for a couple of decades to come as long as upgrades continue to be made.

— scott fowler, charlotteobserver, "9 questions I want presumptive new Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper to answer," 14 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'issue.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of issue

Middle English, exit, proceeds, from Anglo-French, from issir to come out, go out, from Latin exire to go out, from ex- + ire to go; akin to Goth iddja he went, Greek ienai to go, Sanskrit eti he goes

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

issue Synonyms

Phrases

matter of course;

issue

verb

Definition of issue

issued; issuing

intransitive verb

1 a : to go, come, or flow out

b : to come forth : emerge

2 : accrue

profits issuing from the sale of the stock

3 archaic : to descend from a specified parent or ancestor

4 : to be a consequence or final outcome : emanate, result

5 : to appear or become available through being officially put forth or distributed

6 : eventuate, terminate

transitive verb

1 : to cause to come forth : discharge, emit

2 a : to put forth or distribute usually officially

government issued a new airmail stamp

issue orders

b : to send out for sale or circulation : publish

c British : provide 2b, supply

—

issuer

noun

See issue defined for English-language learners

Examples of issue in a Sentence

Each employee will be issued an identification card.
The Post Office will issue a new first-class stamp.
The company plans to raise money by issuing more stock.
The bank will be issuing a new credit card.
the bank's newly issued credit card
The king issued a decree forbidding all protests.
A severe storm warning has been issued.
The police have issued a warrant for her arrest.
A steady flow of lava issued from a crack in the rock.

Recent Examples of issue from the Web

Every year, Children at Risk analyzes school performance to issue a ranking of hundreds of schools across Texas.

— diane smith, star-telegram, "9 of 10 students at this school are poor. How it earned a 'Gold Ribbon' ranking | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 16 May 2018
The decision sent the case back to the Florida Supreme Court, which found in October 2016 that a unanimous jury was required to issue a death sentence.

— gray rohrer, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Governor candidate Chris King opposes death penalty, supports legal pot," 15 May 2018
The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority is set to issue a roughly $660,000 order for an engineering firm to design a pedestrian bridge for the new downtown ferry terminal at the foot of Canal Street.

— beau evans, NOLA.com, "Pedestrian bridge for Canal Street ferry terminal has a designer; will it have a roof?," 15 May 2018
The ruling Tuesday found that the European Union had failed to comply by continuing to issue Airbus preferential government loans with low interest rates for the A350 and the A380.

— liz alderman, New York Times, "Ruling on Airbus Subsidies Could Escalate Trade Tensions With Europe," 15 May 2018
The cost to issue new driver's licenses would be minimal.

— david eggert, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan Senate OKs confidential address program for victims," 15 May 2018
Any citizen filing a complaint against an officer must do so within six months of the incident or the city will be unable to issue formal discipline, unless the complaint could potentially result in criminal charges against the officer.

— adam ferrise, cleveland.com, "Cleveland agrees to three-year contract with police union after two years of negotiations," 14 May 2018
Meghan McCain reportedly asked Sadler to issue a public apology.

— yvonne wingett sanchez, azcentral, "Trump condemns White House 'leakers' as traitors, cowards after furor over McCain 'joke'," 14 May 2018
Meanwhile, to issue the new licenses, the state updated its registry software, giving workers a steep learning curve to climb.

— adam vaccaro, BostonGlobe.com, "RMV still moving too slow after Real ID launch, officials say," 14 May 2018

First Known Use of issue

14th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

issue Synonyms

Synonyms

cast, discharge, emanate, emit, evolve, exhale, expel, give out, irradiate, radiate, release, send (out), shoot, throw out, vent;

Near Antonyms

absorb, inhale, soak (up), sponge, suck (up), take up;

eject, erupt, gush, jet, outpour, pour, spew, spout, spray, spurt, squirt;

Synonym Discussion of issue

spring, arise, rise, originate, derive, flow, issue, emanate, proceed, stem mean to come up or out of something into existence. spring implies rapid or sudden emerging.

- an idea that springs to mind

arise and rise may both convey the fact of coming into existence or notice but rise often stresses gradual growth or ascent.

- new questions have arisen
- slowly rose to prominence

originate implies a definite source or starting point.

- the fire originated in the basement

derive implies a prior existence in another form.

- the holiday derives from an ancient Roman feast

flow adds to spring a suggestion of abundance or ease of inception.

- words flowed easily from her pen

issue suggests emerging from confinement through an outlet.

- blood issued from the cut

emanate applies to the coming of something immaterial (such as a thought) from a source.

- reports emanating from the capital

proceed stresses place of origin, derivation, parentage, or logical cause.

- advice that proceeds from the best of intentions

stem implies originating by dividing or branching off from something as an outgrowth or subordinate development.

- industries stemming from space research

Financial Definition of ISSUE

issue

noun

What It Is

Issue refers to a legal entity -- i.e., government, corporation, or investment trust -- that develops, registers and sells securities to the investing public in order to finance its own operations.

How It Works

The most commonly issued securities are bonds, notes, commercial paper, common stock and preferred stock.

Let's assume that Company ABC makes a public offering of shares in order to finance its business expansion. Company ABC, the issuer of the stock, must file a prospectus with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) summarizing the stock offering, associated risk and financial information of the company.

Why It Matters

Issuers are legally responsible for the securities they issue. To fulfill their legal obligations to investors, they must follow strict reporting standards as set by the SEC, including quarterly reporting of financial performance and conditions, material developments and all operational activities required by regulations in the jurisdictions of the security.

Disclosure requirements for issuing companies were outlined by the Securities Act of 1933 and became more stringent when the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 was passed into law. Annual and quarterly statements, prospectuses, press releases and other reports issued by publicly traded companies are available for download at the SEC website, {ia_ext|www.sec.gov|http://www.sec.gov}. Never invest in a company's debt or stock without reviewing all of the documents mentioned above.

Source: Investing Answers

issuer

noun

What It Is

The term issuer refers to a legal entity -- i.e., government, corporation, or investment trust -- that develops, registers and sells securities to the investing public in order to finance its own operations.

How It Works

The most commonly issued securities are bonds, notes, commercial paper, common stock and preferred stock.

Why It Matters

Issuers are legally responsible for the securities they issue. To fulfill their legal obligations to investors, they must follow strict reporting standards as set by the SEC, including quarterly reporting of financial performance and conditions, material developments and all operational activities required by regulations in the jurisdictions of the security.

Disclosure requirements for issuing companies were outlined by the Securities Act of 1933 and became more stringent when the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 was passed into law. Annual and quarterly statements, prospectuses, press releases and other reports issued by publically-traded companies are available for download at the SEC website, {ia_ext|www.sec.gov|http://www.sec.gov}. Never invest in a company's debt or stock without reviewing all of the documents mentioned above.

Source: Investing Answers

ISSUE Defined for English Language Learners

issue

noun

Definition of issue for English Language Learners

: something that people are talking about, thinking about, etc. : an important subject or topic
: the version of a newspaper, magazine, etc., that is published at a particular time
: the act of officially making something available or giving something to people to be used : the act of issuing something

issue

verb

Definition of issue for English Language Learners

: to give (something) to someone in an official way : to give or supply (something) to (someone)
: to make (something) available to be sold or used
: to announce (something) in a public and official way

ISSUE Defined for Kids

issue

noun is·sue \ ˈi-shü \

Definition of issue for Students

1 : something that is discussed or disputed

Let's not argue about this issue.

2 : the version of a newspaper or magazine that is published at a particular time

3 : the action of going, coming, or flowing out

That is the river's place of issue.

4 : offspring, progeny

5 : a giving off (as of blood) from the body

6 : the act of bringing out, offering, or making available

The post office announced the issue of new stamps.

issue

verb

Definition of issue for Students

issued; issuing

1 : to go, come, or flow out

Smoke issued from the chimney.

2 : to distribute officially

Police are issuing tickets.

3 : to announce officially

A storm warning has been issued.

4 : to send out for sale or circulation

Medical Dictionary

issue

noun is·sue \ ˈish-(ˌ)ü, chiefly British ˈis-(ˌ)yü \

medical Definition of issue

1 : progeny

2 a : a discharge (as of blood) from the body that is caused by disease or other physical disorder or that is produced artificially

a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians
—Luke 8:43 (Authorized Version)

b : an incision made to produce such a discharge

Law Dictionary

issue

noun is·sue \ ˈi-ˌshü, -ˌsyü \

legal Definition of issue

1 plural : proceeds from a source of revenue (as an estate)

rents, issues, and profits

2 : one or more lineal descendants

died without issue

— compare child, heir

3 a : a vital question or problem

cited a national security issue

raised an issue of public safety

b : a matter of dispute between two or more parties; specifically : a single material point of fact or law in litigation that is affirmed by one side and denied by the other and that is a subject of the final determination (as by jury) of the proceedings

— genuine issue

: an issue of fact that requires adjudication by trial rather than summary judgment because sufficient evidence exists to support a verdict for the party opposing the motion for summary judgment

Note: The burden is on the party moving for summary judgment to show that no genuine issue is in dispute.

— issue of fact

: a dispute about a material fact that is raised by pleadings and that must be resolved by a decision under the law in order to become res judicata

— issue of law

: a question specifically regarding the application of law to a case

instructed the jury on various issues of law
—United States v. Levine, 41 F.3d 607 (1994)

c : the point at which a legal matter is ready for determination (as by trial)

filed pleadings and brought the case to issue

4 a : the offering or selling of a group of securities by a corporation or government

a new bond issue

b : the securities offered or sold in such a group

sold the entire issue

— at issue also in issue

: under discussion or in dispute

issue

verb is·sue \ ˈi-shü \

legal Definition of issue

issued; issuing

intransitive verb

1 : accrue

profits issuing from the sale of the stock

2 : to become available or be put forth by authority

waited for the search warrant to issue

transitive verb

: to put forth or distribute usually officially

issue a subpoena

issue bonds

issue credit

—

issuer

noun

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issue

Definition of issue

issueless

Examples of issue in a Sentence

Recent Examples of issue from the Web

Origin and Etymology of issue

issue Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Phrases

issue

Definition of issue

issuer

Examples of issue in a Sentence

Recent Examples of issue from the Web

First Known Use of issue

issue Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Synonym Discussion of issue

Financial Definition of ISSUE

What It Is

How It Works

Why It Matters

What It Is

How It Works

Why It Matters

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ISSUE Defined for English Language Learners

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Definition of issue for English Language Learners

issue

Definition of issue for English Language Learners

ISSUE Defined for Kids

issue

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issue

Definition of issue for Students

Medical Dictionary

issue

medical Definition of issue

Law Dictionary

issue

legal Definition of issue

issue

legal Definition of issue

issuer

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