Etymology From Middle English letter, lettre, from Old French letre, from Latin littera (“letter of the alphabet"; in plural, "epistle”). Displaced Old English bōcstæf (literally “book staff”) in sense 1 and ǣrendġewrit (literally “message writing”) in sense 2.
There are twenty-six letters in the English alphabet.
And a superscription also was written ouer him in letters of Greeke, and Latin, & Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE IEWES.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 23:38:
2
A written or printed communication, usually defined as longer and more formal than a note. (Sometimes specifically one that is on paper.)
I wrote a letter to my sister about my life.
The style of letters ought to be free, easy, and natural.1692, William Walsh, “Preface”, in Letters and Poems, Amorous and Gallant:
3 more examples
The magician gave this to the young man and said to him,“ Go at such an hour of the night and stand before a pagan tomb and call the demons, and throw the letter into the air, and immediately they will come to you.” And the young man called the devils and threw the letter into the air, and the prince of darkness came,[…]1892, P.A.C., edited by Charlotte Porter and Helen A. Clarke, Poet Lore: A Magazine of Letters, volume 4, New York, N.Y.: AMS Reprint Company, →OCLC, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s ‘Golden Legend’ and its Analogues, page 94:
He read the letter aloud. Sophia listened with the studied air of one for whom, even in these days, a title possessed some surreptitious allurement.1921, Ben Travers, chapter 1, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC:
An indulgent playmate, Grannie would lay aside the long scratchy-looking letter she was writing (heavily crossed ‘to save notepaper’) and enter into the delightful pastime of ‘a chicken from Mr Whiteley's’.1977, Agatha Christie, chapter 4, in An Autobiography, part I, London: Collins, →ISBN:
3
The literal meaning of something, as distinguished from its intended and remoter meaning (the spirit).
In obedience to humane laws, we muſt obſerve the letter of the Law, where we can without doing violence to the reaſon of the Law and the intention of the Law-giver: but where they croſſe each other, the charity of the Law is to be preferred before its diſcipline, and the reaſon of it before the letter.1651, Jer[emy] Taylor, “Of Obedience”, in The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Francis Ashe […], →OCLC, section I (Of Obedience to our Superiours), page 183:
I broke the letter of it to keep the sense.1847, Alfred Tennyson, “Part IV”, in The Princess: A Medley, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 81:
1 more example
Some MEPs from some countries may have pocketed £2m more than I have by observing the letter but not the spirit of the rules.2009 February 23, Laurence Peter, quoting Chris Davies, “Euro MP expenses 'can reach £1m'”, in BBC News, archived from the original on 10 Jan 2012:
4
In plural Literature.
Benjamin Franklin was multiskilled – a scientist, politician and a man of letters.
5
Law A division unit of a piece of law marked by a letter of the alphabet.
Letter (b) constitutes an exception to this provision.
6
US A size of paper, 8½ in × 11 in (215.9 mm × 279.4 mm).
Under these, thro’ a garden in which is an ample fountaine, was the King's printing-house, and that famous letter so much esteem’d.1644 February 17 (Gregorian calendar), John Evelyn, “[Diary entry for 8 February 1644]”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […]; and sold by John and Arthur Arch, […], published 1819, →OCLC, page 41:
Etymology From Middle English letter, lettre, from Old French letre, from Latin littera (“letter of the alphabet"; in plural, "epistle”). Displaced Old English bōcstæf (literally “book staff”) in sense 1 and ǣrendġewrit (literally “message writing”) in sense 2.
1
To print, inscribe, or paint letters on something.