idiom
Dead Letter of the Law
DED LET-ter of the LAW
/dɛd ˈlɛtər əv ðə lɔː/Listen
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Syllable breakdown
DEDLETteroftheLAW
Dictionary meaning
A law or rule that is technically still on the books but is no longer enforced or observed in practice, having become obsolete or irrelevant over time.
Examples
- The prohibition on jaywalking is a dead letter of the law in most big cities.
- Several Victorian-era statutes remain as dead letters of the law that no one enforces.
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