letter of the law

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]

Example Sentences

“We all know the rules. We all know the letter of the law. And it’s just unfortunate — you know, innocent till proven guilty, but usually when the FBI has something, they have you.”

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From what you say, your father’s attorney did his due diligence and followed the letter of the law.

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“My nearly 40 years of experience in public safety and policing, my deeply held sense of justice, and following not only the spirit, but the letter of the law, appear to be at odds from demands set by the new administration,” he wrote.

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“We can literally be following our side of action to the letter of the law, and you can basically violate our constitutional rights, and there’s no accountability for that.”

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While cities look for ways to address community concerns and stay within the letter of the law, regular citizens and community activists have been opposing ICE agents wherever they can find them.

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