correspondence
/ˌkɒr.ɪˈspɒn.dəns/ IELTSAcademic
noun
- 1.
Communication by letters, emails, or messages. It is often used for formal or official communication.
- We keep all correspondence in one folder.
- The office sent written correspondence to the customer.
- Please send correspondence to this email address.
- 2.
A close match or agreement between two things. It shows that one thing fits or matches another.
- There is a correspondence between the two reports.
- The numbers show no correspondence with the original data.
- His story has a clear correspondence with the facts.
Adinary Nuance
Correspondence is close to communication, letters, and messages, but it sounds more formal than everyday talk. In official writing, it often means written communication, not face-to-face conversation. For the second meaning, it is more formal than match or similarity. Writers use it when they want to stress agreement between two things.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- thư từ
- Spanish
- correspondencia
- Chinese
- 通信
- Japanese
- 通信
- Korean
- 서신
Etymology
From Middle French correspondence, from Latin correspondentia, based on correspondere, meaning 'answer together' or 'be in agreement'. It entered English in the 14th century.
Common phrases
written correspondencebusiness correspondencein correspondence withno correspondence
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is correspondence formal or informal?
- It is usually formal, especially in business, school, and official writing.
- What is the difference between correspondence and communication?
- Communication is general. Correspondence usually means written communication, like letters or emails.
- Can correspondence mean a match between two things?
- Yes. It can mean a close agreement or connection between two things.
- Is correspondence common in IELTS writing?
- Yes, it is useful in formal and academic writing, especially for written contact.