issue

noun

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is·sue | \ ˈi-(ˌ)shü

, chiefly Southern ˈi-shə, chiefly British ˈis-(ˌ)yü \

plural issues

Definition of issue

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a(1) : a vital or unsettled matter economic issues

(2) : concern, problem I have issues with his behavior

b : a matter that is in dispute between two or more parties "… He insists that this was an issue over health care policy, not over the former vice president's age or agility. …"— Ed O'Keefe They misquoted me, but I didn't want to make an issue of it. — see also take issue

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

2a : the thing or the whole quantity of things given out at one time read the latest issue

b : the act of publishing or officially giving out or making available the next issue of commemorative stamps issue of supplies by the quartermaster

3 : offspring, progeny died without issue

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

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

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

7a : something coming forth from a specified source issues of a disordered imagination

b obsolete : deed

8a : 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

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

at issue

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

2 : in a state of controversy : in disagreement

issue

verb

issued; issuing

Definition of issue (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : 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 sense 1a, supply

2 : to cause to come forth : discharge, emit

intransitive verb

1a : to go, come, or flow out

b : to come forth : emerge

2 : accrue profits issuing from the sale of the stock

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

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

5 : eventuate, terminate

6 archaic : to descend from a specified parent or ancestor

Other Words from issue Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about issue

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Choose the Right Synonym for issue

Verb

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

Examples of issue in a Sentence

Noun 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 Verb 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 on the Web: Noun Little Rock Superintendent Mike Poore said in a Tuesday evening video message on the district's website that students and staff will continue to be required to wear masks until the Little Rock School Board decides the issue on April 8. — Arkansas Democrat-gazette, Arkansas Online, "Alma School District plans to lift mask requirement," 30 Mar. 2021 Author Sheryl Estrada launched the first issue with an interview with Amrita Ahuja, the CFO of Square. — Fortune, "Remote work may kill male employees’ schmoozing advantage," 30 Mar. 2021 Transgender healthcare is not the only issue making its way through state legislatures. — Mike Brest, Washington Examiner, "Arkansas Legislature passes bill banning some treatments for transgender children," 30 Mar. 2021 Lawmakers in both parties have signaled support for addressing the stimulus tax issue. — oregonlive, "Oregon lawmakers explore wiping out stimulus tax penalty – but payments could take months," 30 Mar. 2021 South Africa and India made a formal request to the World Trade Organization to waive the protections until the pandemic is over, but the issue was tabled without a resolution. — Ed Silverman, STAT, "Pharmalittle: White House eyes suspending patent rights on Covid-19 vaccines; J&J supplier may be a vaccine bottleneck," 30 Mar. 2021 The issue has gained serious prominence: On Monday, President Biden called on governors and mayors to maintain or reinstate orders to wear masks as the nation grapples with a potential rise in virus cases. — New York Times, "As Mask Mandates Lift, Retail Workers Again Feel Vulnerable," 30 Mar. 2021 The Republican amendment was rejected along party lines 23-10 with three members — in an early test vote on the broader issue. — Christopher Keating, courant.com, "Gov. Ned Lamont’s emergency COVID-19 powers will continue until May 20 as Connecticut Senate gives final OK to extension," 30 Mar. 2021 Over the weekend, thousands of people took part in protests across the country to raise awareness about the racial discrimination that Asian Americans have experienced for decades, as organizers demanded legislative action to combat the issue. — Sophie Lewis, CBS News, "A 65-year-old Asian woman was beaten in New York City. The same day, an Asian man was left unconscious after an attack on the subway.," 30 Mar. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Yet as important as these efforts are, their impact is significantly undercut when multinational corporations such as Nike continue to issue blanket denials of past complicity and undermine efforts to hold the Chinese government accountable. — Nury Turkel, National Review, "NCAA Basketball Teams Should Take a Stand against Uyghur Genocide," 30 Mar. 2021 Some courts said that the CDC has the authority to issue the order and rejected efforts to stop the ban, while others have ruled in favor of landlords. — Anna Bahney, CNN, "CDC extends eviction moratorium until June 30," 29 Mar. 2021 If a customer refuses to wear a mask at a business that requires one, police can issue a citation or arrest the person for criminal trespass after a warning is given, an SAPD spokesperson told the Express News. — Taylor Pettaway, San Antonio Express-News, "Less than 2 percent of the 31K calls reporting COVID-19 violations to the city resulted in citations," 25 Mar. 2021 In February, Washoe County’s neighbor, Douglas County, which encompasses the cluster of casinos across the border from South Lake Tahoe, moved to temporarily suspend new STR permits and issue $20,000 fines to hosts who rent without a permit. — Gregory Thomas, San Francisco Chronicle, "Tahoe's last holdout is about to pass new rules on Airbnb, Vrbo rentals. Residents aren't happy," 21 Mar. 2021 The ordinance includes a time period for town staff to issue a warning and then re-inspect to see if the violation is continued, and allows fines up to $150 to be issued, which is the maximum per the state statutes. — Steve Smith, courant.com, "Windsor hears from public on zoning enforcement, enacts new ordinance," 19 Mar. 2021 Fortistar needs the city to issue a conditional use permit and amend its zoning ordinance to move forward. — Erin Adler, Star Tribune, "New methane-to-natural gas plant planned for Inver Grove Heights landfill," 19 Mar. 2021 The chair of the House Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy sent a letter to Elanco on Thursday, asking the company to temporarily recall the collars and issue full customer refunds. — Washington Post, "G-7 agrees to expand IMF reserves to help developing countries in pandemic," 19 Mar. 2021 Some parents, school advocates and educators have been pushing the state to scrap testing while others have urged it to test students but not issue A-to-F school grades or make retention and promotion decisions based on test scores. — Leslie Postal, orlandosentinel.com, "Florida will seek waiver from some federal school testing rules," 17 Mar. 2021

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.

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Last Updated

2 Apr 2021

Cite this Entry

“Issue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/issue. Accessed 12 Apr. 2021.

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More Definitions for issue

issue

noun

English Language Learners Definition of issue

(Entry 1 of 2)

: 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

English Language Learners Definition of issue (Entry 2 of 2)

: 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

See the full definition for issue in the English Language Learners Dictionary

issue

noun

is·sue | \ ˈi-shü

Kids Definition of issue

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

issued; issuing

Kids Definition of issue (Entry 2 of 2)

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

issue

noun

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

Medical Definition of issue

1 : progeny

2a : 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

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issue

noun

is·sue | \ ˈi-ˌshü, -ˌsyü

Legal Definition of issue

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

3a : 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

4a : 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 \

issued; issuing

Legal Definition of issue (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : accrue profits issuing from the sale of the stock