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.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
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.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
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]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
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.
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
to the ˈletter
with attention to every detail; exactly: I followed your instructions to the letter.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
to the letter
To the last detail; exactly: followed instructions to the letter.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.