dead letter
Law without enforcement
A dead letter is a law, rule, or agreement that remains officially in force but is no longer enforced or observed: The old ordinance against Sunday sales became a dead letter decades ago.
The term also refers literally to mail that cannot be delivered or returned—letters that have died in transit, sitting unclaimed at the post office.
Officially valid, practically void
- statuteEnacted written rule
- repealedOfficially withdrawn from effect
- supersededReplaced by something newer
- defunctNo longer existing
lapsed · dormant · antiquated · nullified · void · inoperative · unenforceable · abrogated
Not brought to destination
- unclaimedNot yet taken
- returnedWent back again
- missentRouted to wrong destination
- nixieAquatic folklore creature
addressee · postmark · sorting · mailroom · pigeonhole · dispatch · redirect · redelivery
Incapable of producing results
- meaninglessLacking significance or purpose
- hollowEmpty within
- emptyHolding nothing inside
- toothlessHaving no teeth
ignored · disregarded · unheeded · powerless · impotent · symbolic · nominal · paper tiger
Not given proper attention
- abandonedLeft behind completely
- shelvedDeferred or stored away
- dustyCoated with fine particles
- overlookedNot noticed or considered
forsaken · languishing · mothballed · sidelined · dormant · archived · buried · disregarded
unenforced
Officially valid, practically void
- statuteEnacted written rule
- repealedOfficially withdrawn from effect
- supersededReplaced by something newer
defunct · lapsed · dormant · antiquated · nullified · void · inoperative · unenforceable · abrogated · disused
undelivered
Not brought to destination
nixie · addressee · postmark · sorting · mailroom · pigeonhole · dispatch · redirect · redelivery · mailbag
futile
Incapable of producing results
- meaninglessLacking significance or purpose
- hollowEmpty within
- emptyHolding nothing inside
toothless · ignored · disregarded · unheeded · powerless · impotent · symbolic · nominal · paper tiger · lip service
neglected
Not given proper attention
overlooked · forsaken · languishing · mothballed · sidelined · dormant · archived · buried · disregarded · tabled
- mailmail, email, envelope, postcard, stamp
- postalmail, mail delivery, stamp, stamps, mail service
- postal servicespost office, mail, stamps, delivery, packages
- postal termsstamps, zip codes, stamp, stamped, postal codes
- death idiomskick the bucket, six feet under, deadly sin, deadbeat, deadpan
- undeliverable mailundeliverable mail, return to sender, lost mail, address unknown, insufficient postage