letter

¹

[ let-er ]

noun

1. a written or printed communication addressed to a person or organization and usually transmitted by mail.
2. a symbol or character that is conventionally used in writing and printing to represent a speech sound and that is part of an alphabet.
3. a piece of printing type bearing such a symbol or character.
4. a particular style of type.
5. such types collectively.
6. Often letters. a formal document granting a right or privilege.
7. actual terms or wording; literal meaning, as distinct from implied meaning or intent ( spirit ):

   the letter of the law.

8. letters, (used with a singular or plural verb)
   1. literature in general.
   2. the profession of literature.
   3. learning; knowledge, especially of literature.
9. an emblem consisting of the initial or monogram of a school, awarded to a student for extracurricular activity, especially in athletics.

verb (used with object)

1. to mark or write with letters; inscribe:

   I picked up the crossword and lettered in P-E-A-R-L for the final clue.

verb (used without object)

1. to earn a letter in an interscholastic or intercollegiate activity, especially a sport:

   He lettered in track at Harvard.

letter

²

[ let-er ]

noun

, Chiefly British.

1. a person who lets, especially one who rents out property.

letter

/ ˈlɛtə /

noun

1. any of a set of conventional symbols used in writing or printing a language, each symbol being associated with a group of phonetic values in the language; character of the alphabet
2. a written or printed communication addressed to a person, company, etc, usually sent by post in an envelope epistolary
3. the letter
   the strict legalistic or pedantic interpretation of the meaning of an agreement, document, etc; exact wording as distinct from actual intention (esp in the phrase the letter of the law ) Compare spirit 1
4. archaic.
   printing a style of typeface

   a fancy letter

5. to the letter
   1. following the literal interpretation or wording exactly
   2. attending to every detail

verb

1. to write or mark letters on (a sign, etc), esp by hand
2. tr to set down or print using letters

Derived Forms

• ˈletterer, noun

Other Words From

• letter·er noun
• letter·less adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of letter¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, variant of lettre, from Old French, from Latin littera “alphabetic character”; in plural, “epistle, literature”

Origin of letter²

First recorded in 1550–60; let ¹ + -er ¹( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of letter¹

C13: from Old French lettre, from Latin littera letter of the alphabet

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. to the letter, to the last particular; precisely:

   His orders were carried out to the letter.

More idioms and phrases containing letter

In addition to the idiom beginning with letter , also see bread and butter letter ; crank call (letter) ; dead letter ; four-letter word ; poison-pen letter ; red-letter day ; to the letter .

Synonym Study

See literature.

Example Sentences

Washington wrote in a letter to one of his generals that the goal was "to lay waste all the settlements."

From Salon

The school said it had made offers of a free breakfast club, catch-up sessions and had sent four letters and offered two meetings.

From BBC

Rosie Millard, a writer and broadcaster, accused the charity of "institutional failure" in her letter of resignation shared with the Times.

From BBC

On the ground below will be each face’s title in bronze letters.

From Los Angeles Times

"You’ve got to have a password and it’s got to be 12 letters and it’s got to have an exclamation mark," complains the 70-year-old.

From BBC

Related Words

• answer
• memo
• memorandum
• message
• note
• postcard
• reply
• report