lettre de cachet

noun

let·tre de ca·chet ˈle-trə-də-ˌka-ˈshā

plural lettres de cachet ˈle-trə(z)-də-ˌka-ˈshā

: a letter bearing an official seal and usually authorizing imprisonment without trial of a named person

Examples of lettre de cachet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Sade would remain imprisoned until the Revolution abolished the lettre de cachet in 1790. —

Mitchell Abidor, The New York Review of Books, 12 Feb. 2020

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, letter with a seal

First Known Use

1715, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of lettre de cachet was in 1715

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Lettre de cachet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lettre%20de%20cachet. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.

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