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letter of the law

Idioms

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]

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.

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026

I’ll go one step further: Everyone must abide by the letter of the law.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 17, 2026

It could have been a foul and arguably was by the letter of the law.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

“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

His elaborate ruse worked, even though Washington was certainly breaking the letter of the law.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023