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- DictionaryChain let·ter/ˈCHān ˌledər/
noun
- 1. one of a sequence of letters, each recipient in the sequence being requested to send copies to a specific number of other people.
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A chain letter is a message that attempts to convince the recipient to make a number of copies and pass them on to a certain number of recipients. The "chain" is an exponentially growing pyramid (a tree graph) that cannot be sustained indefinitely.
Apr 7, 2020 · The missionaries dubbed the chain letter a “peripatetic contribution box,” a kind of postal hat-passing that immediately began growing in popularity.
May 5, 2005 · Money-generating (pyramid or Ponzi scheme) chain letters hold out the promise of untold riches to those gulled into participating in their circulation.
Sep 23, 2018 · The appeal of chain letters is about control: By forwarding them we allow ourselves to believe that we can command the future. Or at least ward off the worst.
Defined broadly as messages designed to be passed on for alternatively self-serving, altruistic or nefarious purposes, chain letters have taken an array of forms over the centuries.
Aug 27, 2023 · What is a chain letter? A chain letter is a message that tries to pressure its recipient to pass or forward the message to more of their contacts. Chain letters often specify how many people you should forward the message to. Today, chain letters exist in email, social media, or via text message.
Oct 1, 2010 · On the occasion of the release of the horror film Chain Letter, in which “a maniac murders teens when they refuse to forward chain mail,” Slate asked Paul Collins to plot out the real history...
