English Reference
noun · adjective

correspondent

n. · adj.
US /ˌkɔɹəˈspɑndənt/ UK /kˌɒɹɪspˈɒndənt/ cor·re·spon·dent UK spelling correspondent's, correspondent's

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    n.a reporter who sends news from a different city or country, or who focuses on one specific topic.

    n.a journalist employed by a news organisation to provide reports from a distant location or on a specialised subject area.

    Simple

    The BBC's foreign correspondent reported live from the middle of the protest.

    In context

    As a veteran war correspondent, she had spent decades filing reports from some of the most volatile regions on the planet.

    Usage

    Often used with a modifier like 'foreign', 'war', or 'political'.

  2. 02 C1 Advanced Formal

    n.someone you exchange letters or emails with regularly.

    n.a person who communicates with another by means of written correspondence.

    Simple

    He was a regular correspondent of mine for many years before we finally met.

    In context

    The archives contain a vast collection of letters between the philosopher and his various European correspondents.

    writerpen pal
  3. 03 C2 Proficiency Formal

    adj.matching or being similar to something else.

    adj.having a close similarity, connection, or equivalence; matching in character or function.

    Simple

    The increase in sales brought a correspondent rise in profits.

    In context

    The expansion of the city's infrastructure must be met with a correspondent increase in the budget for public services.

    Usage

    Usually followed by the preposition 'to'.

As Japan swelters through extreme summer heat, BBC Tokyo correspondent Kurumi Mori tries out a new way to cool down.

BBC News· 12 Aug 2026

The United Nations is redirecting resources, moving pre-positioned emergency supplies and deploying additional staff to areas impacted, said UN Resident Coordinator in Colombia, María José Torres Macho, briefing UN correspondents on Tuesday.

UN News· 11 Aug 2026

From Latin, via Middle French or directly, from Medieval Latin correspondēns, present participle of correspondeō.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin la-med correspondēns
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Frequent
Updated