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letting

In American usage, a 'letting' was the award or assignment of a public contract — the formal process by which government work is let out to a contractor.

ˈlɛtɪŋhistoricalCurrent162 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
🇬🇧 British & Irish slang
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4 citations · last seen May 2026

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UK
#1·Apr 28, 2026UK

In American usage, a 'letting' was the award or assignment of a public contract — the formal process by which government work is let out to a contractor. The phrase 'contract letting' refers to the competitive bidding process for government projects. The sense is now mostly found in formal legal and construction industry contexts. In British English, 'letting' more commonly refers to renting out property.

The road repair contract was up for letting and three local firms submitted bids.
Origin: From 'let' in the legal sense of 'to award or grant' a contract. From Old English laetan (to allow, permit). The noun 'letting' captures the moment of award. Editorial expansion authored on Slangora.
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UK
#2·Apr 27, 2026UK

(US, dated) The award of a public contract.

For parents

"letting" means: The award of a public contract.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.

For ESL learners

"letting" means: The award of a public contract.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. Note the regional or dialect label (US) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.

Heard in the wild
  • “Sanjoy Kumar Pal, Soumen Sarkar, Pradipta Panchadhyayee: Determination of the magnetic moment of a magnet by letting it fall through a conducting pipe https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.01530 https://arxiv.org/pdf/2605.01530 https://arxiv.org/html/2605.01530”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “Your rearview mirror's 'night mode' lever doesn't just dim! 💡 It *rotates a prism* inside, redirecting harsh headlights UPWARD, preventing glare while still letting you clearly see behind. Mind. Blown. 🤯 #CarSecrets #AutoDesign #HiddenTech #DrivingHack”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “The UK chooses the Supreme Court nominees for the US? I’m on board to give that a try 😊 Can’t be worse than letting a fascist cult choose them.”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “For NATG 2026 Day 4: "Draw a pony brainstorming / Draw a pony letting their imagination run wild!" I thought I'd mix in something for May the Fourth too. #mlp #mlpg4 #mlpg5 #MistyBrightdawn #RainbowDash #natg #NATGDay4 #lightsaber #StarWarsDay”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “did a really great job of letting Tyra”

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🇬🇧About British & Irish slang slang

UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.

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