correspondence

noun

cor·​re·​spon·​dence ˌkȯr-ə-ˈspän-dən(t)s How to pronounce correspondence (audio)
ˌkär-
Synonyms of correspondencenext
1
a
: communication by letters or email
also : the letters or emails exchanged
I have a pile of correspondence on my desk.
b
: the news, information, or opinion contributed by a correspondent to a newspaper or periodical
2
a
: the agreement of things with one another
the correspondence between spelling and pronunciation
b
: a particular similarity
c
: a relation between sets in which each member of one set is associated with one or more members of the other compare function sense 5a

Synonyms

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Examples of correspondence in a Sentence

They communicated by telephone and correspondence. E-mail correspondence has become extremely important for modern businesses. The two men began a correspondence that would continue throughout their lives. A book of the author's personal correspondence was published early last year. A formal tone is always used in business correspondence. Note the correspondence of each number to a location on the map. Sometimes there is little correspondence between the way a word is spelled and the way it is pronounced in English. Sometimes there are few correspondences between spelling and pronunciation.
Recent Examples on the Web The law requires that any such presidential correspondence be forwarded to an official account for preservation. —Rachel Weiner, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024 Remaining polite in the initial letter and any further correspondence can help make a better impression. —Kristen Moon, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024 Rossi also linked to Jan. 9 correspondence from the secretary of state's office approving Kennedy's petition. —Allison Novelo, CBS News, 25 Mar. 2024 In its statement, the Board of Curators said investigators looked at text messages, emails and other correspondence, and interviewed two dozen employees and leaders to determine whether Moseley had bullied Candia-Bailey. —Char Adams, NBC News, 22 Mar. 2024 Look at the more than 5,000 documents showing correspondence between Claremont staff, academics, politicians and activists that the New York Times obtained through open records requests. —Kathleen Gallagher, Journal Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2024 Consumers should always try to verify questionable correspondence with a government agency or member of law enforcement by a separate means—such as contacting them directly using information found on an official website, not one on the correspondence sent, the FBI said. —USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2024 Kobach followed the law by turning over his correspondence. —Katie Bernard, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024 ProPublica reviewed thousands of pages of emails and memos by U.S. officials, letters to foreign ministries, correspondence from industry groups and academic research. —Heather Vogell, ProPublica, 21 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'correspondence.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see correspond

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of correspondence was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing correspondence

Dictionary Entries Near correspondence

correspond

correspondence

correspondence course

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Correspondence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/correspondence. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.

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Kids Definition

correspondence

noun
cor·​re·​spon·​dence ˌkȯr-ə-ˈspän-dən(t)s How to pronounce correspondence (audio)
1
a
: agreement between certain things
b
: a point of similarity
c
: a relation between sets in which each member of one set is matched to one or more members of the other set
2
a
: communication by letters
b
: the letters exchanged

More from Merriam-Webster on correspondence

Nglish: Translation of correspondence for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of correspondence for Arabic Speakers

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