Missive

Definition: a letter or communication

From the Latin “missivus” which means “to be sent.”

It’s often defined as a physical letter, but increasingly is used for digital communications.

Why I Looked It Up

I had a general understanding of the word, but I had usually heard it in the context of an angry note or letter: “a scathing missive” or something. However, that tone is not inherent to the word, it turns out. The word is neutral.

I decided to look it up after seeing this in a news article:

Some startup customers report that they got notice they would be booted off the platform on August 15. Brex published a brief explanation on its website […] In that missive, Brex told its SMB customers that their accounts would remain active…