Word of the Day

Sunday, November 12, 2000

missive

\MIS-iv\ , noun;

A written message; a letter.

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Quotes:

She also agreed to write to the Prince, while the Count included a suitably outraged missive of his own.

-- Saul David, Prince of Pleasure

Well, somebody sent the invitation, I said, getting back to the mysterious missive.

-- Jane Heller, Name Dropping

Origin:

Missive comes from the Medieval French lettre missive, literally, letter intended to be sent; it ultimately derives from Latin missus, past participle of mittere, to send.