the letter of the law
noun phrase
: exactly what the law says
They seem to be more concerned with obeying the letter of the law than with understanding the spirit of the law.
Examples of the letter of the law in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Apple announced plans to allow third-party app stores on iOS in the region earlier this year, complying with the letter of the law (though some say not the spirit) as required by the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which was enacted in hopes of making platforms more open and competitive.
—
Samuel Axon, Ars Technica, 8 July 2024
There, the guiding principle would be simple: follow the letter of the law.
—John Butler, Foreign Affairs, 2 Aug. 2016
The spirit of the law might support you more than the letter of the law, so direct your audience’s attention there.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 29 Feb. 2024
The Biden administration, through its malicious neglect and positive subversion of our immigration law, has made itself in effect, if not by the letter of the law, an accessory to Laken Riley’s murder.
—The Editors, National Review, 27 Feb. 2024
Many of Collins’ novels focus on marriage’s negative consequences for women and the fissures in personal identity imposed by the letter of the law.
—Katherine Hobbs, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Jan. 2024
In sports, as in life, the letter of the law is only a rough guide to good behavior.
—David Papineau, WSJ, 14 Dec. 2023
Apple has a tendency to follow the letter of the law, so to speak, while also kicking and screaming about it.
—WIRED, 16 Nov. 2023
In reality, much of weed that is on sale is much stronger than 0.2% THC in a country where adherence to regulations and the letter of the law can be patchy.
—Heather Chen, CNN, 29 Sep. 2023
Samuel Axon, Ars Technica, 8 July 2024
There, the guiding principle would be simple: follow the letter of the law.
—John Butler, Foreign Affairs, 2 Aug. 2016
The spirit of the law might support you more than the letter of the law, so direct your audience’s attention there.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 29 Feb. 2024
The Biden administration, through its malicious neglect and positive subversion of our immigration law, has made itself in effect, if not by the letter of the law, an accessory to Laken Riley’s murder.
—The Editors, National Review, 27 Feb. 2024
Many of Collins’ novels focus on marriage’s negative consequences for women and the fissures in personal identity imposed by the letter of the law.
—Katherine Hobbs, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Jan. 2024
In sports, as in life, the letter of the law is only a rough guide to good behavior.
—David Papineau, WSJ, 14 Dec. 2023
Apple has a tendency to follow the letter of the law, so to speak, while also kicking and screaming about it.
—WIRED, 16 Nov. 2023
In reality, much of weed that is on sale is much stronger than 0.2% THC in a country where adherence to regulations and the letter of the law can be patchy.
—Heather Chen, CNN, 29 Sep. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the letter of the law.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near the letter of the law
the letter of the law
Cite this Entry
“The letter of the law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20letter%20of%20the%20law. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
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