scarlet letter

See synonyms for scarlet letter on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a scarlet letter “A,” formerly worn by one convicted of adultery.

Origin of scarlet letter

1
An Americanism dating back to 1840–50

Words Nearby scarlet letter

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use scarlet letter in a sentence

  • She brings out the power of conscience as forcibly as Hawthorne has done in his "scarlet letter."

  • "The scarlet letter" was written, and a marvellous success rewarded the author and his stout-hearted wife.

  • If once she had been wearer of the scarlet letter, the color thereof had faded these years back.

    The Broken Gate | Emerson Hough
  • The grace and tenderness of the author of the 'scarlet letter' is discernable in its pages.

    The Cradle of the Christ | Octavius Brooks Frothingham
  • One day my teacher found me in a corner of the library poring over the pages of "The scarlet letter."

    Story of My Life | Helen Keller

British Dictionary definitions for scarlet letter

scarlet letter

noun
  1. (esp among US Puritans) a scarlet letter A formerly worn by a person convicted of adultery

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012