open letter

noun

1. a letter, often of protest or criticism, addressed to a specific person, but intended to be brought to public attention.

open letter

noun

1. a letter, esp one of protest, addressed to a person but also made public, as through the press

Other Words From

• open-letter adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of open letter¹

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

Few are prepared to say so openly, although the drivers did not leave much to the imagination in their open letter on the recent controversy over swearing.

From BBC

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.

From Salon

Thao rejected that criticism, most notably in an open letter to Dreyfuss, the hedge fund manager, that accused him of “trying to buy our city government.”

From Los Angeles Times

Palestinians, Muslim leaders and other activists in the swing state of Arizona issued an open letter days ago that makes a case for defeating Trump.

From Salon

On Wednesday, the Thao campaign released an “open letter” to the executive, Philip Dreyfuss, accusing him of “trying to buy our city government.”

From Los Angeles Times