letter of the law

Idioms  

1. The precise wording rather than the spirit or intent. For example, Since it was the first time he'd broken the rules, the school decided to ignore the letter of the law and just give him a warning. [Late 1500s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

letter of the law

The real plaintiff goal is to loot Bayer, no matter the plain letter of the law.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

But speaking to CBS programme Face the Nation on Sunday, Massie suggested that the justice department was "flouting the spirit and the letter of the law".

From BBC ● Dec. 22, 2025

“Agencies owe a duty to the public to be more proactive and more transparent, even than the bare minimum letter of the law might allow them to get away with,” Loy said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 19, 2025

He wants to punish those who speak out against him, who present cases against him and who, in doing their jobs to the letter of the law, go against his wishes.

From Salon ● Dec. 14, 2025

“If anyone tried to live by the letter of the law, it was me,” he said later, in an interview published by the Ambassador Report.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady