correspondence

noun

cor·​re·​spon·​dence ˌkȯr-ə-ˈspän-dən(t)s How to pronounce correspondence (audio)
ˌkär-
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

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 62-year-old man from Magdeburg is not named in the correspondence in compliance with German privacy rules. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024 The man, who is not named in the correspondence in compliance with German privacy rules, reported receiving 217 Covid shots between June 2021 and November 2023. Mira Cheng, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024 The correspondence was meant to explore a sale, separation or fundamental shift in the current management structure. Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Feb. 2024 Miller was diligent about his correspondence, according to Julia Bolus, the director of the Arthur Miller Trust and the playwright’s former assistant, but a reply of this length was exceptional. Andrew Aoyama, The Atlantic, 28 Feb. 2024 The telegram to Friar Park provides the coda to the correspondence. Guy Martin, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Malmi contested Wright’s timeline of the correspondence between him and Satoshi and Wright’s description of technical arrangements relating to the Bitcoin.org forum. Joel Khalili, WIRED, 23 Feb. 2024 The correspondence eventually led to the creation of Franklin. Amy Amatangelo, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2024 Douglass grew prosperous enough from speaking fees, sales of his books, and a sinecure to buy Cedar Hill, a spacious house and eight acres in Anacostia, now a neighborhood in Washington, D.C. Anna, who died in 1882, is nearly invisible in Douglass’s correspondence. Brian T. Allen, National Review, 8 Feb. 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

Dictionary Entries Near correspondence

Cite this Entry

“Correspondence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/correspondence. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!