open letter

noun

: a published letter of protest or appeal usually addressed to an individual but intended for the general public

Examples of open letter in a Sentence

In an open letter to the company, a citizens' group implored company executives to reconsider their decision to close the factory.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In response to the most recent reports, a group of OB-GYNs told Texas officials and policymakers in an open letter that the two women — Josseli Barnica, 28, and Nevaeh Crain, 18 — should still be alive. Randi Richardson, NBC News, 5 Nov. 2024 Early last year, when Starbucks tried to enforce its hybrid-work mandate, dozens of corporate workers signed an open letter pushing back. Daniela Sirtori, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2024 McConaughey, 54, ended his open letter by pointing out that good sportsmanship is the way to go. Danielle Jennings, People.com, 22 Oct. 2024 The internal election spilled into public view, with an op-ed appearing in The New York Times, and 13 of the club’s past presidents wrote an open letter decrying the anti-immigrant candidates as bigots. Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, 19 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for open letter 

Word History

First Known Use

1898, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of open letter was in 1898

Dictionary Entries Near open letter

Cite this Entry

“Open letter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/open%20letter. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

open letter

noun
: a letter (as one addressed to an official) for the public to see and printed in a newspaper or magazine

More from Merriam-Webster on open letter

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