lettre de cachet

[le-tr^uh duh ka-she]

noun

French.

plural

lettres de cachet 

1. a letter under the seal of the sovereign, especially one ordering imprisonment, frequently without trial.

lettre de cachet

/ lɛtrə də kaʃɛ /

noun

1. French history a letter under the sovereign's seal, often authorizing imprisonment without trial

Word History and Origins

Origin of lettre de cachet¹

literally: letter with a seal

Example Sentences

Rohan professed to regard the challenge as a piece of insolence, and, through royal favor, had Voltaire, sent, by lettre de cachet, to the Bastille.

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And so, being wide awake, and fully determined to give the True Grits no cause of complaint against him, he went straight with the lettre de cachet to the President.

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Next morning, instead of meeting de Rohan, he met officers armed with a lettre de cachet consigning him to the Bastille.

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To avoid the lettre de cachet, he fled to Holland, and for prudence' sake, exchanged his name of Chevalier de Thémiseul for the less warlike one of Saint-Hyacinthe.

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A lettre de cachet was issued, and Fr�ret was sent to the Bastille.

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