lettre de cachet

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Definitions from WordNet

Noun lettre de cachet has 1 sense

cachet, lettre de cachet - a warrant formerly issued by a French king who could warrant imprisonment or death in a signed letter under his seal
--₁ is a kind of warrant

Definitions from the Web

Lettre de cachet

Description

A lettre de cachet is a special sealed letter issued by a person in authority, particularly in France, giving orders or directives. Historically, it was commonly used by the French monarchy to detain or imprison someone without formal trial or public knowledge.

Senses

1. Historical Usage

In the historical context, lettre de cachet refers to a letter issued by the French monarchy to imprison or confine someone without legal proceedings. It was a powerful tool often used arbitrarily.

Example: The lettre de cachet was frequently abused, leading to numerous cases of unjust incarcerations during the reign of Louis XVI.

2. Modern Usage

In contemporary usage, lettre de cachet may refer to any authoritative letter or directive, though the historical connotation remains.

Example: The CEO issued a lettre de cachet to all employees, outlining the new company policies.

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