newsletter

Etymology

It was formed from English news + letter in English.^[2][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

A letter written to pass on news, especially one written and sent out to report the news of the day, as was common in the later 17th century: 1665, in the records of Stirling,^[2][5] the 1670s in Etymonline.^[3]

Semantic evolution

The handwritten newsletters of the 17th century were overtaken by printed newspapers, and the word fell out of use until it was revived in the 20th century.^[3][2] Its modern sense, a fairly informal printed report of news or information sent out regularly to subscribers or members of an organization, is recorded in the OED from 1961,^[2] and now also covers such reports sent by email.^[2]

Timeline

• 1665 – a letter conveying news.^[2][5]
• 1961 – a periodical bulletin for members or subscribers.^[2]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A bulletin of news or information sent regularly to the members of a society or organization, or to subscribers: The club posts a monthly newsletter to every member.
2. (historical) A written or printed account of the news, sent out as a letter.

Related words

• news
• letter
• newspaper
• gazette

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
5. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster