Word: missive (noun)

Associations

A "missive" is a formal or official letter or message. It is often used in writing or speech to describe a letter that is important or serious in tone.

• "He sent a lengthy missive to the company explaining his concerns." This shows a formal letter with detailed content.
• "The ambassador received a missive from the government." Here, it means an official message.
• "She wrote a missive to her old friend after many years." This can also mean a personal but formal letter. A similar word is "letter." The difference is that "letter" is more general and can be informal or formal, while "missive" usually suggests a formal or important letter.

Substitution

Instead of "missive," you can use:

• letter (more general, can be informal)
• message (less formal, can be spoken or written)
• communication (more formal, can be written or spoken) Using "missive" sounds more formal and sometimes old-fashioned compared to these alternatives.

Deconstruction

"Missive" comes from Latin "missivus," meaning "sent." It is related to the verb "miss," which means "to send." The root "miss-" means "to send," and the suffix "-ive" turns it into a noun meaning "something that is sent." So, a missive is literally "something sent," usually a letter or message.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a situation where you might receive a missive instead of a casual message?
• How would the tone of a missive differ from a text message or email?
• Have you ever written or received a formal letter that could be called a missive? What was it about?