letters
n.-
1 alphabet symbols (n.) A1 Beginnerthe symbols used in writing and printing to represent sounds.
the individual characters of an alphabet used in a writing system.
ExampleThe child was proud that he could already write all the letters of his name.
ExampleThe inscription was difficult to read because several letters had been worn away by centuries of exposure to the wind and rain.
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2 written messages (n.) A1 Beginnerwritten messages that you send to someone, usually in an envelope.
written or printed communications addressed to a person or organisation, typically sent by post.
ExampleShe kept all the old letters her grandfather had sent her from overseas.
ExampleThe historian spent months in the archives, meticulously cataloguing the private letters exchanged between the two diplomats during the crisis.
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3 literature and learning (n.) C1 Advanced Formal Literaryknowledge of literature and the arts.
the world of literature, scholarship, and the humanities; often used in the phrase 'man or woman of letters'.
ExampleHe was a man of letters who spent his life studying ancient poetry.
ExampleHer contribution to the world of letters was recognised with a lifetime achievement award for her essays on contemporary philosophy.