Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

scarlet-letter

Noun

ˈskär-lət ˈle-tər

Definition

A mark of shame associated with sin or wrongdoing, symbolized by a specific letter.

Examples

She felt as if she was wearing a scarlet letter after her mistake was revealed.
In the community, those who broke the rules were treated as if they had a scarlet letter on them.

Meaning

The term refers to a physical or metaphorical sign that indicates a person’s guilt or moral failure, often drawn from the novel ‘The Scarlet Letter’ by Nathaniel Hawthorne.