dead-letter

A dead-letter sits unclaimed in the post office.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Unclaimed mail: "dead-letter" refers to a piece of mail that cannot be delivered to the intended recipient or returned to the sender, typically because the address is incorrect or the recipient cannot be found.
   • Obsolete law or rule: "dead-letter" also means a law, regulation, or agreement that remains on paper but is no longer enforced or applied in practice.

Usage Examples

• Unclaimed mail:
  • The post office held the dead-letter for several months before destroying it. (Mail that could not be delivered or returned.)
• Obsolete law:
  • The old prohibition law became a dead-letter after it was never enforced. (A law that is no longer applied.)

Advanced Usage

• "to become a dead-letter": to fall into disuse or become ignored.
  • The treaty between the two nations became a dead-letter after both sides violated its terms. (The agreement was no longer respected or followed.)

Variants and Related Words

• Dead-letter office (n): a department in a postal system that handles undeliverable mail.

  • The dead-letter office sorted through hundreds of returned packages. (The postal division for unclaimed items.)

• Dead-letter law (n): a statute that is technically valid but not enforced.

  • That outdated tax rule is a dead-letter law, rarely applied by authorities. (A law that exists but is not used.)

Synonyms

• Unclaimed mail: returned mail, undeliverable mail.
• Obsolete law: dormant law, ineffective rule, moribund regulation.

Related Idioms

• Dead letter of the law: a law that is ignored or not enforced.

  • The speed limit is a dead letter of the law in this rural area. (The law is not followed or enforced.)

• To let something become a dead letter: to allow a rule or agreement to be disregarded.

  • The company let the safety policy become a dead letter after the manager left. (They stopped enforcing the policy.)