form letter

noun

1. a standardized letter that can be sent to any number of persons, occasionally personalized by inserting the name of each recipient in the salutation.

form letter

noun

1. a single copy of a letter that has been mechanically reproduced in large numbers for circulation

Word History and Origins

Origin of form letter¹

An Americanism dating back to 1905–10

Example Sentences

They grabbed pan dulce and coffee, fact sheets and a form letter arguing in favor of Carrillo’s proposed legislation, and vented about what they claimed was decades of political neglect.

From Los Angeles Times

Apple Music sent a form letter, too, though it included a tantalizing clue: the name of the company that had uploaded the songs.

From New York Times

The form letter, which appears over 1,000 times in the public comment database, urges Ohio to “responsibly” lease rights to minerals under Salt Fork State Park, among other areas.

From Seattle Times

Actor and wellness executive Gwyneth Paltrow signed a form letter to the planning department last fall that said the ordinance “burdens homeowners with unnecessary development regulations.”

From Los Angeles Times

Now all she could hear, reading the city’s form letter, was “Get her out of here!”

From Seattle Times