Scripture
noun
Often Scriptures. the sacred writings of the Old or New Testaments or both together.
Scripture
American
[skrip-cher]
/ ˈskrɪp tʃər /
noun
-
Also called Holy Scripture, Holy Scriptures. Often Scriptures. the sacred writings of the Old or New Testaments or both together.
-
(often lowercase) any writing or book, especially when of a sacred or religious nature.
-
(sometimes lowercase) a particular passage from the Bible; text.
Scripture
1
British
/ ˈskrɪptʃə /
noun
-
Also called: Holy Scripture, Holy Writ, the Scriptures. Christianity the Old and New Testaments
-
any book or body of writings, esp when regarded as sacred by a particular religious group
scripture
2
British
/ ˈskrɪptʃə /
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of Scripture
1250–1300; Middle English < Latin scrīptūra writing. See script, -ure
Explanation
Scripture is a sacred religious text. It usually refers to the Christian Bible, but it can refer to other religions' texts as well. The noun scripture is most often used for specifically Christian writing, and it's often capitalized. However, it can refer to any religion's sacred writing: "Hindu scripture is written on the walls of the temple." In the 1300s, scripture sometimes meant simply "writing," though it more often referred to sacred words, especially in the Christian Bible. Its root word is the Latin script, or "writing."
Vocabulary lists containing scripture
The Write Stuff: Scrib, Script
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"The Hill We Climb," by Amanda Gorman
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Inherit the Wind
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In Scripture, Gilead is a place of refuge; so is Marilynne Robinson’s rural 1950s town.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
Almost all the words came from Scripture and 18th-century poetry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 24, 2026
But the show that set the bar for the meeting place of Southern life, politics and religion was “Designing Women,” in which characters regularly attend Sunday service and engage in conversations about Scripture.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2025
Let alone that it was brutal, systematic, and defended by law and Scripture alike.
From Slate ● Apr. 23, 2025
Momma used the baubles to buy several hogs, and that was how Rose Hill came to have pork chops every Sunday after the Scripture was read.
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
Talarico's conversational style and command of scripture have generated viral social media clips, while a two-hour appearance on comedian Joe Rogan's hugely popular podcast in 2025 introduced him to an audience beyond traditional Democratic circles.
From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026
When you were talking, I thought of another scripture — “the repairers of the breach,” which Bill Clinton used quite a bit.
From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2026
He quickly attracted a cult-like following on the internet, and his investment firm’s routine regulatory filings are studied like scripture.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
The lesson of the scripture is that everyone can be redeemed, can change, no matter what mistakes they have made.
From Slate ● Jul. 10, 2026
Lopsang Jangbu’s father, Ngawang Sya Kya—an ordained lama—burned juniper incense and chanted Buddhist scripture beneath a metallic gray sky.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
