to the letter
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
With adherence to every detail.
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
‘ The IAAF must urgently review the situation, for when you make your rules you have to carry them out to the letter of the law.
Umpires are even empowered to use their own initiative to ensure that a game reaches an equitable outcome.
British National Corpus sentence via the MAGPIE corpus (CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Figurative class: Metaphor (PIE-English corpus, CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31).
Common questions
What does “to the letter” mean?
With adherence to every detail.
Is “to the letter” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.