LETTRE DE CACHET


Meaning of LETTRE DE CACHET in English

(French: "letter with a seal") Letter bearing an official seal, signed by the king and countersigned by a secretary of state, used primarily to authorize someone's imprisonment without trial.

An important instrument of administration under the ancien régime in France, lettres de cachet were greatly abused in the 17th–18th century. Their use was abolished in 1790.

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia.      Краткая энциклопедия Британика.