is·sue (ĭsh'ū)
n.

1. 1. The act or an instance of flowing, passing, or giving out.
   2. The act of circulating, distributing, or publishing by an office or official group: government issue of new bonds.
2. Something produced, published, or offered, as:
   1. An item or set of items, as stamps or coins, made available at one time by an office or bureau.
   2. A single copy of a periodical: the May issue of the magazine.
   3. A distinct set of copies of an edition of a book distinguished from others of that edition by variations in the printed matter.
   4. A final result or conclusion, as a solution to a problem.
   5. Proceeds from estates or fines.
   6. Something proceeding from a specified source: suspicions that were the issue of a deranged mind.
3. Offspring; progeny: died without issue.
4. 1. A point or matter of discussion, debate, or dispute: legal and moral issues.
   2. A matter of public concern: debated economic issues.
   3. A misgiving, objection, or complaint: had issues with the plan to change the curriculum.
   4. The essential point; crux: the issue of how to provide adequate child care.
   5. A culminating point leading to a decision: bring a case to an issue.
5. Informal. A personal problem or emotional disorder: The teacher discussed the child's issues with his parents.
6. A place of egress; an outlet: a lake with no issue to the sea.
7. Pathology.
   1. A discharge, as of blood or pus.
   2. A lesion, wound, or ulcer producing such a discharge.
8. Archaic. Termination; close.

v., -sued, -su·ing, -sues.

v.intr.

1. To go or come out. See synonyms at appear.
2. To accrue as proceeds or profit: Little money issued from the stocks.
3. To be born or be descended.
4. To be circulated or published.
5. To spring or proceed from a source. See synonyms at stem¹.
6. To terminate or result.

v.tr.

1. To cause to flow out; emit.
2. To circulate or distribute in an official capacity: issued uniforms to the players.
3. To publish: issued periodic statements.

idioms:

at issue

1. In question; in dispute: "Many people fail to grasp what is really at issue here" (Gail Sheehy).
2. At variance; in disagreement.

join issue

1. To enter into controversy.
2. LawTo submit an issue for decision. To submit an issue for decision.

take issue

1. To take an opposing point of view; disagree.

[Middle English, from Old French eissue, issue, from Vulgar Latin *exūta, alteration of Latin exita, feminine past participle of exīre, to go out : ex-, ex- + īre, to go.]

issuer is'su·er n.
issueless is'sue·less adj.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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