issue

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

|Updated on: 14 Jul 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: issue in a Sentence

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

Trustees were expected to discuss the issue further at Tuesday evening’s school board meeting.

— priscella vega, latimes.com, "Advanced math classes will continue in Newport-Mesa middle schools," 11 July 2018
After the ruling, a Quinnipiac poll found Americans split over the issue.

— hannah fingerhut, The Christian Science Monitor, "Poll: Americans have relatively high confidence in Supreme Court," 10 July 2018
Northeastern defended the research on the basis of academic freedom, and said the research is not directly linked to issues of immigration and detention.

— j.d. capelouto, BostonGlobe.com, "Petition urges Northeastern to drop ICE as co-op employer," 10 July 2018
Bamford’s standup often revolves around issues of depression and mental illness.

— trevor fraser, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Maria Bamford talks comedy ahead of show at The Plaza Live," 10 July 2018
In 2014, the Naperville City Council asked staff to look into possible solutions for the overnight parking issue.

— erin hegarty, Naperville Sun, "Naperville to again look at ways to help residents ticketed because of 70-year-old parking ban," 10 July 2018
Since the announcements of their departures, the brand has openly faced the widespread brick-and-mortar industry issue of a decline in sales that forced the powerhouse American brand to shut down 50 of its locations last year.

— refinery29.com, "It's Happening! J.Crew Is Finally Introducing Plus Sizing," 10 July 2018
Other states, such as Louisiana, have addressed the issue legislatively, by creating across-the-board parole eligibility — though in some jurisdictions that still means few, if any, lifers are actually being released.

— samantha melamed, Philly.com, "Why are juvenile lifers from Philly getting radically different sentences than those in the rest of Pennsylvania?," 10 July 2018
These registration numbers are a window into the crucial issue of enthusiasm.

— jeet heer, The New Republic, "Democrats enjoy a huge party registration advantage in midterms.," 10 July 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

Councilman Pat Mulvihill, whose district includes the Walmart and Kmart buildings, issued a statement Wednesday expressing his disappointment in the coming closure.

— bailey loosemore, The Courier-Journal, "Is your Louisville Walmart closing? These stores will shut down soon," 11 July 2018
Wiley estimated the state has issued about 480,000 new plates annually for the past few years.

— lynn horsley, kansascity, "Getting a new Kansas license plate? To avoid sticker shock, keep track of that decal," 11 July 2018
Samsung apologized for the mistake and issued a new return shipping label.

— christopher elliott, courant.com, "The Phones Were Returned, But Samsung Kept The $2,032," 11 July 2018
Nelson, who is in a tight race to hold onto his Senate seat in November, issued a bland statement about the conservative judge Trump wants to elevate.

— anthony man, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Republicans try to make Supreme Court fight unpleasant for Bill Nelson," 11 July 2018
No charges have been filed or tickets issued, authorities said.

— rafael guerrero, Naperville Sun, "Pedestrian grazed by car in Saturday crash, Naperville police say," 11 July 2018
The number of violations issued this year is not much higher than at the same time last year.

— jason laughlin, Philly.com, "Philly cyclists line up near new Wawa to highlight unsafe biking conditions," 10 July 2018
The chief justice also does have legitimate philosophical priors about respecting precedent and issuing the narrowest possible opinions.

— dylan scott, Vox, "John Roberts is the Supreme Court’s new swing vote. Is he going to overturn Roe v. Wade?," 9 July 2018
Russia ultimately sponsored the resolution and the American delegation did not issue any threats to the country.

— beth mole, Ars Technica, "US puts fierce squeeze on breastfeeding policy, shocking health officials," 9 July 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

Learn More about issue

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for issue Spanish Central: Translation of issue Nglish: Translation of issue for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of issue for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up issue? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

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

Phrases Related to ISSUE

Related Phrases

ISSUE Defined for English Language Learners

issue

Definition of issue for English Language Learners

issue

Definition of issue for English Language Learners

ISSUE Defined for Kids

issue

Definition of issue for Students

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

Learn More about issue

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Words We're Watching: 'Laze'

5 Words for Clumsy People

Test Your Emoji Exceptionalism

Trending: Ocasio-Cortez Sparks 'Socialism' Lookups

Ghost Word