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

The incident prompted his son, Trace, to pen an open letter calling for his father to seek help. —Mekishana Pierre Published, EW.com, 24 Aug. 2025

The band posted an open letter to DHS on its social media channels calling for the video to be taken down. —Shannon Bond, NPR, 18 Aug. 2025

The company’s work with the Trump administration prompted a group of former Palantir employees in the spring to write an open letter criticizing the company. —Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 17 Aug. 2025

This is why, last week, a group of more than 550 former Israeli generals and intelligence chiefs wrote an open letter to U.S. President Donald Trump, asking him to force their government to end the war. —Marc Champion, Twin Cities, 14 Aug. 2025

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