correspondence

correspondence — noun

1. the written messages, such as formal letters, official documents, or emails, tha

1.nounB1
Definition

the written messages, such as formal letters, official documents, or emails, that people or organizations send to one another

Example

Dewi found a pile of business correspondence waiting on her desk Monday morning.

uncountable noun: business correspondence

All official correspondence must be reviewed by the legal team before it leaves the office.

Common collocations
  • business correspondence
  • official correspondence
  • personal correspondence
  • a piece of correspondence
  • correspondence with
  • correspondence between
Synonyms
  • mail

    more general term for postal items; 'correspondence' often implies formal or business communication

  • letters

    more specific — 'letters' usually means handwritten or typed personal messages; 'correspondence' also covers emails and official documents

  • written communication

    formal and broader term for any exchange in writing

Grammar Patterns

correspondence with [somebody]

correspondence between [somebody and somebody]

Usage Note

This sense is uncountable — use 'a piece of correspondence' or 'items of correspondence' to refer to individual messages, not 'a correspondence'.

Common Mistakes

I received a correspondence from the bank.
I received a piece of correspondence from the bank.
'correspondence' is uncountable when referring to letters or messages.
The correspondent was on my desk.
The correspondence was on my desk.
'correspondent' means a person who writes; 'correspondence' is the written material itself.

2. the regular exchange of personal or formal letters between two people who keep i

2.nounB2
Definition

the regular exchange of personal or formal letters between two people who keep in touch by writing over a period of time

Example

Yasmin and her grandmother kept up a lively correspondence for more than ten years.

collocation: keep up a correspondence

The two historians began a correspondence after meeting at a conference in Kyoto.

Common collocations
  • keep up a correspondence
  • begin a correspondence
  • a long correspondence
  • enter into correspondence
  • correspondence with
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

correspondence between [somebody] and [somebody]

keep up a correspondence

enter into correspondence

Usage Note

Unlike sense 1 (LETTERS / MAIL), which refers to the written items themselves, this sense describes the ongoing activity of exchanging letters. It can be used as a countable singular noun: 'a correspondence' = one exchange of letters between two people.

Common Mistakes

We had a correspondence with letters about work projects.
Our correspondence covered work projects, family news, and travel stories.
avoid repetitive phrasing; 'correspondence' already implies letters.

3. a clear relationship or match between two things, such that a change in one is l

3.nounC1
Definition

a clear relationship or match between two things, such that a change in one is linked to a change in the other, or the two share a similar structure or pattern

Example

The study found a direct correspondence between weekly exercise hours and sleep quality.

pattern: correspondence between [noun] and [noun]

There is a close correspondence between total rainfall and river height each spring.

collocation: close correspondence

Common collocations
  • close correspondence
  • direct correspondence
  • clear correspondence
  • strong correspondence
  • correspondence between
Synonyms
  • relationship

    broader and more general; 'correspondence' implies a tighter, more structured match

  • connection

    more informal; 'correspondence' is preferred in formal academic writing

  • similarity

    focuses on things being alike; 'correspondence' suggests a systematic one-to-one match

Antonyms
  • difference

    a lack of correspondence means things do not match

  • mismatch

    when two things that should correspond do not align

Grammar Patterns

correspondence between [something] and [something]

Usage Note

Formal register. Frequently found in academic, scientific, and analytical writing. Compare with 'correlation' — correspondence suggests structural similarity or matching, while correlation specifically implies a statistical relationship.

Common Mistakes

There is a correspondence between smoking and lung disease.
There is a strong link between smoking and lung disease.
'correspondence' suggests matching or similarity, not cause-and-effect; 'link' or 'correlation' is better for health statistics.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words refer to messages sent between people, but they differ in scope and register. 'Mail' is the broadest term, covering any postal or digital delivery — bills, packages, flyers, and personal messages. 'Letters' is more specific, usually meaning handwritten or typed personal or formal messages sent by post, not emails or documents generally. 'Correspondence' overlaps with 'letters' but is more formal and broader: it includes emails, official documents, memos, and any written exchange, especially in business or institutional contexts. 'Written communication' is the most formal and general — it covers any information shared in writing, whether by letter, email, report, or memo. For daily conversation, 'mail' and 'letters' are more natural. For business or academic writing, 'correspondence' is preferred. Example: 'I check my mail every morning' (casual) vs. 'All correspondence must be filed by Friday' (formal office setting).

correspondence ↗mail ↗letterswritten communication

Common collocations

Phrases

  • a piece of correspondence
  • a flood of correspondence
  • keep up a correspondence

Prepositions

  • correspondence with
  • correspondence between

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'correspondence' entered English in the 1400s from Latin 'correspondentia', built from 'com-' (together) and 'respondere' (to answer, to reply). Its earliest meaning was 'agreement or harmony between things' — the idea that two things 'answer to' each other. By the 1600s, people began using it for the exchange of letters, since letters involve two people mutually 'answering' each other's messages. The modern meaning of 'a relationship or match between things' preserves the original Latin sense.