red-letter
Americanadjective
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marked by red letters, as festival days in the church calendar.
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memorable; especially important or happy.
a red-letter day in his life.
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(of a Bible) having the quoted words of Jesus appear in red type.
a red-letter edition;
the red-letter New Testament presented at her baptism.
Etymology
Origin of red-letter
First recorded in 1660–70
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.
Fine Books Magazine, a publication for rare book collectors, described the auction as a “literary red letter day”.
From The Guardian • May 22, 2018
It’s a red letter day for the media industry.
From The Verge • Dec. 14, 2017
The recent reopening of the Chimney Tops Trail was a red letter day for visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
From Washington Times • Oct. 18, 2017
"If you were to speak there, it's like having a red letter on your chest," says David Woodard, a Republican political consultant and Clemson University political science professor.
From US News • May 6, 2016
My marker squeaks as I write each huge red letter: D tipping forward, A leaning back, N shivery, C stretched tall, and the lines of E poking out at funny angles, the word itself dancing.
From "Rules" by Cynthia Lord
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
