scarlet letter

noun

: a scarlet A worn as a punitive mark of adultery

Examples of scarlet letter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Like the unnamed narrator who finds Hester Prynne’s scarlet letter in the Salem Custom House and then sets about telling her tale, Banks’s narrators are anonymous busybodies and town gossips, nosy neighbors or observers once removed from the action. Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2024 The two medical students were surprised that in Chicago, adding ketchup could earn someone a scarlet letter. Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2024 But even those reactionaries to the shifting sensibilities are poised to arrive late at the party or have their shifts come across as insincere or forced to wear the scarlet letter of sellout. Paul Fitzgerald, Rolling Stone, 5 Mar. 2024 Impeachment will still be a useful constitutional tool because of the scarlet letter that presidents perceive in being impeached, Mr. Gerhardt said, citing Mr. Clinton and Mr. Trump. Peter Baker, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for scarlet letter 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scarlet letter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

from such a letter in the novel The Scarlet Letter (1850) by Nathaniel Hawthorne

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of scarlet letter was in 1850

Dictionary Entries Near scarlet letter

Cite this Entry

“Scarlet letter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scarlet%20letter. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!