dead letter
noun
1
: something that has lost its force or authority without being formally abolished
As a result of such loopholes, the statute became a dead letter.—
William M. McGovern, Jr. et al.
William M. McGovern, Jr. et al.2
: a letter that is undeliverable and unreturnable by the post office
Examples of dead letter in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Put another way, ICE’s new interpretation turns the statute into a dead letter.
—Noah Feldman, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2026
Put another way, ICE’s new interpretation turns the statute into a dead letter.
—Noah Feldman, Mercury News, 4 Feb. 2026
That amendment had been made a dead letter by Jim Crow state legislatures and an acquiescent Supreme Court.
—Robert D. Bland, The Conversation, 3 Feb. 2026
But despite the positive attention these proposals initially received, most of them remain dead letters just one year later.
—Matthias Matthijs, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dead letter
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Noah Feldman, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2026
Put another way, ICE’s new interpretation turns the statute into a dead letter.
—Noah Feldman, Mercury News, 4 Feb. 2026
That amendment had been made a dead letter by Jim Crow state legislatures and an acquiescent Supreme Court.
—Robert D. Bland, The Conversation, 3 Feb. 2026
But despite the positive attention these proposals initially received, most of them remain dead letters just one year later.
—Matthias Matthijs, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dead letter
Cite this Entry
“Dead letter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dead%20letter. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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