to the letter
23
4.4
- idiom
- Formal
:
al pie de la letra
- Follow these orders to the letter.
- followed to the letter
- adhere to the letter
- to the letter of the law
It was exactly, exactly everything to the letter, to timings, to the locations, everything.
- It was exactly, exactly everything to the letter, to timings, to the locations, everything.
- She followed the rules of a custody order written by a narcissistic judge to the letter.
- And I want you to know that in spite of all the pressures on our finances in the UK caused by COVID, we have kept that promise to the letter.
Examples
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The chef prepared the recipe to the letter, following each step precisely.
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All orders are to be followed to the letter.
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And I will honor our agreement to the letter.
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When I give an order, it is to be carried out to the letter.
Fiction book (1999) -
I followed all your directions to the letter and here I am.
-
I followed protocol to the letter.
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We followed protocol to the letter.
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You will follow these rules to the letter. Deviations could put the ship at risk.
Fiction book (1999) -
I need you to listen to my instructions very carefully and follow them to the letter without hesitation.
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Both Captain Ransome and his subordinate, Lieutenant Price, follow their orders to the letter, and neither does so blindly.
Fiction book (1998)
Synonyms
∞
1.0
In a completely correct way
103
3.7
Someone acts in a careful way that follows rules exactly
55
3.9
Following rules and official instructions exactly
39
4.4
To do something in a careful, exact way to get the right result
10
7.6
In a way that is exact in every detail
1
7.7
Exactly the right amount or degree needed
Antonyms
How Exact
Surface Forms
Morphology
to + the + letter
The meaning 'exactly as instructed' is related to 'letter' in the sense of the literal wording of a rule, so a learner who recognises this legal/literal sense can infer the phrase. However, many B1 learners know 'letter' primarily as a written message or character, and the prepositional idiom 'to the letter' is a conventionalized usage that may not be fully predictable without exposure. Because the connection is present but requires a specific sense of 'letter' and some idiomatic knowledge, it is best seen as partially transparent.
Etymology
To the letter comes from the idea of following a written letter word for word. You imagine reading each word and doing exactly what it says, so it means 'exactly as instructed'.