scarlet letter

noun

1. a scarlet letter “A,” formerly worn by one convicted of adultery.

scarlet letter

noun

1. (esp among US Puritans) a scarlet letter A formerly worn by a person convicted of adultery

Word History and Origins

Origin of scarlet letter¹

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50

Example Sentences

His outsider status as a hunchback is instead a costume that presumably serves as scarlet letter or Star of David.

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I believe he lived with a scarlet letter on him because of it.

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"By taking a hand gesture that everyone makes and turning it into a scarlet letter they can brand literally anyone an evil feminist," he said.

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Rather than a badge of honor, Romney’s ultimate act of bipartisanship was seen by some Republican primary voters as a scarlet letter.

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“But now I have, like, a scarlet letter and the medical stuff so even if I could go to work, my face would be doing gymnastics.”

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