envelope

noun

en·ve·lope ˈen-və-ˌlōp

ˈän-

Synonyms of envelope next

: a flat usually paper container (as for a letter)

: something that envelops : wrapper

the envelope of air around the earth

: the outer covering of an aerostat

: the bag containing the gas in a balloon or airship

: a natural enclosing covering (such as a membrane, shell, or integument)

: a lipoprotein unit membrane that forms the outer layer of some virions

: a curve tangent to each of a family of curves

: a surface tangent to each of a family of surfaces

: a set of performance limits (as of an aircraft) that may not be safely exceeded

also : the set of operating parameters that exists within these limits

: a conventionally accepted limit

new computers that push the envelope

How do you pronounce envelope?: Usage Guide

The \ˈen-\ and \ˈän-\ pronunciations are used with about equal frequency, and both are fully acceptable, though the \ˈän-\ version is sometimes decried as "pseudo-French." Actually \ˈän-\ is exactly what one would expect to hear when a French word like entrepreneur is becoming anglicized. Envelope, however, has been in English for nearly 300 years, plenty of time for it to become completely anglicized and for both of its pronunciations to win respectability.

Examples of envelope in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Green prays over the envelope before ripping it open. —

Aimée Lutkin, ELLE, 3 Sep. 2023 However, Paul’s attempts to obtain the FBI documents ceased shortly after the employee delivered a manila envelope. —

Philip Jankowski, Dallas News, 31 Aug. 2023 With access to collection boxes, criminals typically look for envelopes containing cash or checks. —

Erin Couch, The Enquirer, 31 Aug. 2023 Studying mixed modes revealed that red giant cores rotate much more slowly than the star’s gaseous envelope, contrary to what astrophysicists had predicted. —

Kevin Hartnett, Quanta Magazine, 22 Aug. 2023 Delicate or minimalist jewelry will pack better in an envelope or binder style of jewelry case. —

Anna Popp, Travel + Leisure, 28 Aug. 2023 An envelope of cash is handed to an interview subject. —

Lisa Tozzi, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2023 Carleton left an envelope filled with cash for the woman, and wrote her a letter with a simple message: Buy a bigger sign. —

Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 22 Aug. 2023 Her co-presenter Warren Beatty later stated that he had been mistakenly given a duplicate envelope. —

Ben Flanagan | Bflanagan@al.com, al, 31 July 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'envelope.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.