to the letter

let·ter

L0131000 (lĕt′ər)n.1. a. A written symbol or character representing a speech sound and being a component of an alphabet.b. A written symbol or character used in the graphemic representation of a word, such as the h in Thames. See Note at Thames.2. A written or printed communication directed to a person or organization.3. often letters A certified document granting rights to its bearer.4. Literal meaning: had to adhere to the letter of the law.5. letters(used with a sing. verb)a. Literary culture; belles-lettres.b. Learning or knowledge, especially of literature.c. Literature or writing as a profession.6. Printing a. A piece of type that prints a single character.b. A specific style of type.c. The characters in one style of type.7. An emblem in the shape of the initial of a school awarded for outstanding performance, especially in varsity athletics.v. let·tered, let·ter·ing, let·ters v.tr.1. To write letters on: lettered the paper.2. To write in letters: lettered our name on the mailbox.v.intr.1. To write or form letters.2. To earn a school letter, as for outstanding athletic achievement: She lettered in three collegiate sports.Idiom: to the letter To the last detail; exactly: followed instructions to the letter.

[Middle English, from Old French lettre, from Latin littera, perhaps from Etruscan, from Greek diphtherā, hide, leather, writing surface.]

let′ter·er n.Synonyms: letter, epistle, memorandum, missive, note
These nouns denote a written communication directed to another: received a letter of complaint; the Epistles of the New Testament; a memorandum outlining the attendance policy; a missive of condolence; a thank-you note.

Thesaurus

Adv.

to the letter - in every detail; "the new house suited them to a T"just right, to a T, to perfection

Translations

一丝不苟地不折不扣地执行

letter

(ˈletə) noun1. a mark expressing a sound. the letters of the alphabet.字母2. a written message, especially sent by post in an envelope. She slowly took the letter from its envelope; Did you post my letter?信ˈlettering noun1. the way in which letters are formed. the art of lettering. 写字，印字 2. letters which have been drawn, painted etc. He repainted the lettering over the shop door.印刷或手写的字体ˈletterbox noun1. a slit in a door (sometimes with a box behind it) through which mail from the post is put. He put the card through the letterbox.信箱2. a postbox. 邮筒ˈletterhead noun the name and address of a company, a person etc printed at the top of a piece of writing paper. 印有抬头的信笺to the letter precisely; according to every detail. He followed his father's instructions to the letter. 不折不扣地执行，一丝不苟地

to the letter

Exactly as something is written or instructed. You must follow the instructions to the letter, or your application won't be considered. We did everything to the letter, but something still went wrong.See also: letter

to the letter

exactly as instructed; exactly as written. I didn't make an error. I followed your instruction to the letter. We didn't prepare the recipe to the letter, but the cake still turned out very well.See also: letter

to the letter

Precisely, as in If you follow the directions to the letter, you can't go wrong. Letter here refers to the exact terms of some statement. [c. 1800] See also: letter

to the letter

COMMON If you follow instructions, rules, or advice to the letter, you carry them out exactly in every detail. These chemicals can be dangerous, so follow the instructions to the letter. Even if that international agreement is followed to the letter, the ozone layer won't recover fully until the year 2060.See also: letter

to the letter

with adherence to every detail. The French equivalent of this phrase is au pied de la lettre , which has been used in English since the late 18th century.See also: letter

to the ˈletter

with attention to every detail; exactly: I followed your instructions to the letter.See also: letter

to the letter

To the last detail; exactly: followed instructions to the letter.See also: letter

to the letter

let·ter

letter

to the letter

to the letter

to the letter

to the letter

to the letter

to the letter

to the ˈletter

to the letter

to the letter

Synonyms for to the letter

adv in every detail

Synonyms