black letter

noun

, Printing.

1. a heavy-faced type in a style like that of early European hand lettering and the earliest printed books. 

black letter

noun

1. printing another name for Gothic

Other Words From

• black-letter adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of black letter¹

First recorded in 1630–40

Example Sentences

"Not only is this rule not authorized by existing law and is actually contrary to black letter Georgia law, but it presents very serious security and chain of custody concerns."

From Salon

And just in case I had missed it, there was a framed drawing on yellow construction paper by his daughter that said in big black letters: “Pulitzer Prize Finalist.”

From Seattle Times

Those five words, written in large black letters on a white poster, prompted Bruce Springsteen to help a young fan skip a day of school after his San Francisco concert on Sunday.

From Los Angeles Times

In bold black letters it reads "Humanitarian Support to Palestinians at risk of forcible transfer in the West Bank".

From BBC

But the Biden administration doesn’t want to hire neutral asylum officers who are likely to review cases objectively and properly apply the black letter law of asylum.

From Washington Times