empty letter

USAGE SUMMARY

'empty letter' is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is often used to describe a letter that is written with nothing contained in the body of the text, or an email with no message typed in the body. For example, "I received an empty letter in the mail today with no return address."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

"All our conversations and conclusions were simply an empty letter," he said.

The New Yorker

In another show, not available online, the head of the industry and commerce administration was reportedly confronted with footage showing his workers asking businesses to give them cash-filled envelopes - then was handed an empty letter by a presenter.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

He saw a postman emptying a letter box into a canvas pouch.

The New Yorker

Investigators carefully carried the bag to a specially enclosed room and emptied the letters into a closed biological safety cabinet kept clean by air flows and special seals.

The New York Times

It's rather empty: keep the letter a bit longer, in which case it might come to have very different connotations?

The New York Times

Of course, this rite of passage often resulted in being hoiked to the deputy head's office for much mea culpa-ing in response to the empty threat of a letter home, but that was all part of it.

The Guardian - Opinion

The other study finds the glass half empty: in a Research Letter to be posted online Tuesday in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers who followed British functionaries for two decades found that just over half of those who were obese but metabolically healthy at the outset had become metabolically unhealthy by the end.

Los Angeles Times

Nobody had ever done anything like what I did: take out a full-page ad in Variety with a little black frame surrounded by empty white with a letter in the middle saying, "Dear MCA President Sidney Sheinberg, when are you going to release my film Brazil?

Vice

The child's task is to fill in the empty boxes under each letter with the corresponding codes discovering their internal organization to solve the task.

BioMed Research International

Empty liquor bottles, handwritten letters, and bouquets of flowers littered the unassuming grave throughout the seventies and eighties.

Huffington Post

The second subtest, Planned Codes, contains two items, each within a matrix of 7 rows and 8 columns of letters with empty boxes.

BioMed Research International

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "empty letter" when you want to emphasize that a written message lacks substance or meaning, rather than simply being physically empty.

Common error

Avoid using "empty letter" when you simply mean a letter was not delivered or its physical contents are missing. Instead, reserve it for situations where the letter exists but lacks meaningful information.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "empty letter" primarily functions as a noun phrase where the adjective "empty" modifies the noun "letter". This phrase is used to describe a letter that, while physically present, lacks substance or meaning. As per Ludwig AI, the phrase is correct and usable.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "empty letter" describes a written communication devoid of substance or meaning, and Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness. While relatively rare in usage, the phrase effectively conveys disappointment or criticism towards a letter that fails to deliver meaningful content. Its neutral register makes it suitable for various contexts, predominantly appearing in News & Media. When using "empty letter", it's important to ensure it accurately reflects the lack of substance, rather than merely indicating the physical absence of content.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

letter without content

Directly describes the absence of meaningful information in the letter.

blank communication

Similar to "letter without content", but more broadly applicable to any form of communication.

hollow message

Highlights the lack of sincerity or depth in the letter's content.

meaningless communication

Focuses on the lack of substance in the message, rather than the physical absence of content.

ineffective message

Focuses on the letter's failure to achieve its intended purpose.

insincere letter

Emphasizes the lack of genuine feelings or intentions behind the writing.

letter of no consequence

Highlights the lack of importance or impact of the letter.

worthless correspondence

Indicates that the letter has no value or importance.

fruitless correspondence

Suggests that the letter will not lead to any positive outcome or result.

vain letter

Implies that the letter is pointless and serves no useful purpose.

FAQs

How can I use "empty letter" in a sentence?

You can use "empty letter" to describe a communication that lacks substance, such as, "The politician's speech was just an "empty letter" promising change but offering no concrete plans."

What does it mean when someone calls a letter "empty"?

Calling a letter "empty" usually means that the message lacks meaningful content, sincerity, or impact, even if it contains words.

Is it more common to say "empty letter" or "letter with no content"?

While both phrases are understandable, "letter with no content" is more direct. The phrase "empty letter" often carries a connotation of insincerity or worthlessness, not just the absence of information.

What's the difference between an "empty promise" and an "empty letter"?

An "empty promise" refers to a pledge that someone doesn't intend to keep, while an "empty letter" describes a written message that lacks substance or sincerity.