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

Skeptics say the new rules illustrate the security risks inherent in approving the exports and that following them to the letter of the law might mean no shipments get approved.

From The Wall Street Journal

"But by the letter of the law, whether we like it or not, it is the right decision."

From BBC

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

"They are flouting the spirit and the letter of the law," he told CBS News on Sunday.

From BBC

In “The Good Fight,” where he recurred as the no-nonsense Judge Brickner, Reiner balances his magistrate’s stolid impatience for courtroom grandstanding with an ability to wordlessly express disdain, even agony, in moments when the letter of the law requires him to uphold an injustice.

From Salon