Missive

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈmɪsɪv/

Definitions

1. A written document intended for a specific recipient often serves to convey important information or requests while typically requiring an acknowledgment or response
2. A communication in written form that is directed towards a particular person or group and usually carries significant content or requests that may need a reply
3. A formal written message designed for a specified audience that communicates important details or inquiries, often expecting a response

Etymology: "Missive" entered English as a learned borrowing from Medieval Latin "missivus," meaning something sent or for sending. That adjective was built on the Latin verb "mittere," "to send," the same root that gave English words such as "mission," "emit," and "transmit." The Latin "mittere" is also behind "missile," a thing thrown or sent, which shows how closely the family of meanings stays tied to the act of dispatch. In English, "missive" started out as an adjective describing something sent, and it later came to be used as a noun for the letter itself. Its meaning today is a formal written communication, often one sent from a person of authority or a formal body. Used this way, the word keeps the original idea of something dispatched from one party to another.

Synonyms: letter, note