missive

• POS: Adjective, Noun
• HYPHEN: mis=sive

CIDE DICTIONARY

missive, a. [See Missive, n.].

•  Specially sent; intended or prepared to be sent; as, a letter missive.  Ayliffe.  [1913 Webster]
•  Missile.  Dryden.  [1913 Webster]

Letters missive, letters conveying the permission, comand, or advice of a superior authority, as a sovereign. They are addressed and sent to some certain person or persons, and are distinguished from letters patent, which are addressed to the public.

missive, n. [F. lettre missive. See Mission, n.].

•  That which is sent; a writing containing a message.  [1913 Webster]
•  One who is sent; a messenger.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

missive, n.
1 joc. a letter, esp. a long and serious one.
2 an official letter.

Idiom

letter (or letters) missive a letter from a sovereign to a dean and chapter nominating a person to be elected bishop.

Etymology

ME f. med.L missivus f. L (as MISSION)

ROGET THESAURUS

missive

Correspondence

N correspondence, letter, epistle, note, billet, post card, missive, circular, favor, billet-doux, chit, chitty, letter card, picture post card, postal, card, despatch, dispatch, bulletin, these presents, rescript, rescription, post, epistolary, furor scribendi.