letter

[ let-er ]

/ ˈlɛt ər /

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See synonyms for: letter / lettered / lettering / letters on Thesaurus.com

noun

a written or printed communication addressed to a person or organization and usually transmitted by mail.

a symbol or character that is conventionally used in writing and printing to represent a speech sound and that is part of an alphabet.

a piece of printing type bearing such a symbol or character.

a particular style of type.

such types collectively.

Often letters . a formal document granting a right or privilege.

actual terms or wording; literal meaning, as distinct from implied meaning or intent (opposed to spirit): the letter of the law.

letters, (used with a singular or plural verb)

literature in general.
the profession of literature.
learning; knowledge, especially of literature.

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)

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)

to earn a letter in an interscholastic or intercollegiate activity, especially a sport: He lettered in track at Harvard.

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Idioms about letter

to the letter, to the last particular; precisely: His orders were carried out to the letter.

Origin of letter

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

synonym study for letter

8. See literature.

OTHER WORDS FROM letter

let·ter·er, nounlet·ter·less, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH letter

letter , lighter, liter, litter

Words nearby letter

let someone, let someone down, let someone have it, Lett, letted, letter, letter bomb, letterbox, letterboxing, letter-card, letter carrier

Other definitions for letter (2 of 2)

letter²

[ let-er ]

/ ˈlɛt ər /

noun Chiefly British.

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

Origin of letter

First recorded in 1550–60; let¹ + -er¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use letter in a sentence

She did urge the county to take out SDSU students from the statistics, and they’re going to send a letter to the state asking that the SDSU numbers not be included in the calculation of the county’s tier status.
Morning Report: The Dreaded Purple Tier|Voice of San Diego|September 16, 2020|Voice of San Diego
I could name many of them who, for example, organized and signed a letter of support for me in 1991.
Can Anita Hill Forgive Joe Biden … and Work With Him?|Pallabi Munsi|September 14, 2020|Ozy
That’s why Ivan tells Selin that his love for her is “for the person writing your letters.”
The true love story in Elif Batuman’s The Idiot is a love affair with language|Constance Grady|September 11, 2020|Vox
Let’s get to the letter of the law, as Apple is a stickler for precision when it comes to these rules.
Apple lays out its messy vision for how xCloud and Stadia will work with its App Store rules|Lucas Matney|September 11, 2020|TechCrunch

Obviously, thankfully, that letter never needed to be opened, but I wrote that letter that tells your loved ones what you want them to know.
Pete Buttigieg Says Dems Did Not Coordinate to Seal Biden’s Primary Win|Nick Fouriezos|September 9, 2020|Ozy
In memoriam, Parker Molloy writes a powerful letter to Leelah.
Six Must-Read Stories About Gay Mormon Husbands and Iranian Drug Wars|The Daily Beast|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Your letter highlights so many of the harsh realities trans people face, specifically in regard to how society rejects us.
Dear Leelah, We Will Fight On For You: A Letter to a Dead Trans Teen|Parker Molloy|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Just a few short years ago, I sat down at my computer, and I typed out a similar goodbye letter.
Dear Leelah, We Will Fight On For You: A Letter to a Dead Trans Teen|Parker Molloy|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Copies of the letter were sent to senior members of the church hierarchy and to the Soviet government.
Remembering the Russian Priest Who Fought the Orthodox Church|Cathy Young|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I have never gotten one letter in my office about one of those.
A Field General in the War on Christmas|David Freedlander|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He turned to the gentle accents of his sweet Alice, breathed in a letter which had been wet with her grateful tears.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
Hoosier hurried on board the boat, and followed Dick's instructions to the letter.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
A letter from Fajardo to the king (December 10, 1621) concerns various matters of administration and business.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
How little did he divine that the letter of the doctor was called forth by a communication from the countess-dowager.
Elster's Folly|Mrs. Henry Wood
With this letter is another by the same writer, dated July 30, 1622—a postscript to a duplicate of the preceding letter.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various

British Dictionary definitions for letter

letter

/ (ˈlɛtə) /

noun

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

a written or printed communication addressed to a person, company, etc, usually sent by post in an envelopeRelated adjective: epistolary

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 (def. 10)

printing archaic a style of typefacea fancy letter

to the letter

following the literal interpretation or wording exactly
attending to every detail

verb

to write or mark letters on (a sign, etc), esp by hand

(tr) to set down or print using letters

Derived forms of letter

letterer, noun

Word Origin for letter

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with letter

letter

In addition to the idiom beginning with letter

letter of the law

also see:

bread and butter letter
crank call (letter)
dead letter
four-letter word
poison-pen letter
red-letter day
to the letter

letter

Idioms about letter

Origin of letter

synonym study for letter

OTHER WORDS FROM letter

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH letter

Words nearby letter

Other definitions for letter (2 of 2)

Origin of letter

Words related to letter

How to use letter in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for letter

Derived forms of letter

Word Origin for letter

Other Idioms and Phrases with letter