as in letter
a message on paper from one person or group to another
the two old friends like to fire off missives filled with good-natured teasing and mock insults
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of missive
The beginning of this short but deeply human missive indicts the racial politics of the era and the shameful legacy of slavery.
—
Anna Holmes, The Atlantic, 27 May 2026
The missive, penned in September of that year, was addressed to one of her school friends, Katherine Hanbury.
—Séraphine Roger, Vanity Fair, 24 May 2026
The script, which Sachs co-wrote with his regular collaborator Mauricio Zacharias, has no interest in overexplaining its milieu or serving as an anthropological missive from the past, which is admirable.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 20 May 2026
The day the missive was delivered, organizers additionally filed for an election with the National Labor Relations Board.
—News Desk, Artforum, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for missive
Anna Holmes, The Atlantic, 27 May 2026
The missive, penned in September of that year, was addressed to one of her school friends, Katherine Hanbury.
—Séraphine Roger, Vanity Fair, 24 May 2026
The script, which Sachs co-wrote with his regular collaborator Mauricio Zacharias, has no interest in overexplaining its milieu or serving as an anthropological missive from the past, which is admirable.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 20 May 2026
The day the missive was delivered, organizers additionally filed for an election with the National Labor Relations Board.
—News Desk, Artforum, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for missive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for missive
Noun
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Semi-official Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) separately reported that Naqvi carried a letter from Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who has continued to keep a low public profile since assuming his post in March.—
Dalia Abdelwahab,
CNN Money,
7 June 2026
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There’s been talk about digitizing the signboard, but the letters are still put up by hand.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
Noun
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The main theme of the letters over time emphasizes long-term value creation, but the epistles have drawn criticism from the political left and right.—
byDebbie Carlson,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
24 Mar. 2026
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For example, in several Epistles, the apostle Paul speaks often about the Christian hope in God through Jesus Christ.—
Joanne M. Pierce,
The Conversation,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Missive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/missive. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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