dead letter
Americannoun
-
a law, ordinance, etc., that has lost its force but has not been formally repealed or abolished.
-
a letter that cannot reach the addressee or be returned to the sender, usually because of incorrect address, and that is sent to and handled in a special division or department dead-letteroffice of a general post office.
noun
-
a letter that cannot be delivered or returned because it lacks adequate directions
-
a law or ordinance that is no longer enforced but has not been formally repealed
-
informal anything considered no longer worthy of consideration
-
An unclaimed or undelivered letter that is eventually destroyed or returned to the sender. For example, She moved without leaving a forwarding address, so her mail ended up in the dead letter office . [c. 1700]
-
A statute or directive that is still valid but in practice is not enforced. For example, The blue laws here are a dead letter; all the stores open on Sundays and holidays . [Second half of 1600s]
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dead letter
First recorded in 1570–80
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And she essentially says that this has been a set of cases that ended Wednesday with what she describes as a kind of dead letter, a ghost of whatever Section 2 was.
From Slate ● Apr. 30, 2026
Every day that passes makes that resolution more of a dead letter, and adds to the elusiveness of a deal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2025
This, Kagan says, renders impeachment and conviction virtually a dead letter.
From Salon ● Nov. 18, 2024
During the first week in January, when the next term opens, it will be a dead letter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2022
But the estates felt that the maintenance of their liberties demanded more substantial guarantees than the dead letter of ancient laws.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 8 "Hudson River" to "Hurstmonceaux" by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
