open letter

noun

: a published letter of protest or appeal usually addressed to an individual but intended for the general public

Examples of open letter in a Sentence

In an open letter to the company, a citizens' group implored company executives to reconsider their decision to close the factory.

Recent Examples on the Web

Thousands of actors, directors, writers and other entertainment workers have signed an open letter opposing the deal, arguing that further consolidation of the media industry will hurt creators and consumers. —Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026

Those interested in signing the open letter can click here. —Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026

In the open letter, Astronauts for America highlighted how cooperation, regardless of political beliefs, is vital to the success of NASA’s mission. —Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 21 Apr. 2026

No Music for Genocide, the campaign that has rallied hundreds of artists to pull their music from streaming services in Israel, has released an open letter calling for a boycott of the Eurovision Song Contest over its decision to allow Israel to compete. —Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 21 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1898, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for open letter

• carburetter
• carburettor
• abettor
• newsletter
• typesetter
• better
• bettor
• debtor
• fetter
• getter
• netter
• petar

Kids Definition

open letter

noun

: a letter (as one addressed to an official) for the public to see and printed in a newspaper or magazine