apostolate

[ uh-pos-tl-it, -eyt ]

/ əˈpɒs tl ɪt, -ˌeɪt /

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noun

the dignity or office of an apostle.

Roman Catholic Church.

the dignity and office of the pope as head of the Apostolic See.
the mission of bishops in their dioceses.
an organization of the laity devoted to the mission of the Church.

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Origin of apostolate

1635–45; <Late Latin apostolātus the office of an apostle, equivalent to Late Latin apostol(us) apostle + -ātus-ate³

Words nearby apostolate

Apostle pitcher, apostle plant, Apostles' Creed, Apostle spoon, Apostles, the Twelve, apostolate, apostolic, apostolic age, Apostolic Church, apostolic delegate, Apostolic Fathers

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use apostolate in a sentence

Not only was the apostolate Galilean,—it was plebeian, and that without a solitary exception.
Expositor's Bible: The Gospel of Matthew|John Monro Gibson
Mr. Archer has been followed, and perhaps outrun, in his apostolate by other writers full of ardour and talent.
The English Stage|Augustin Filon
Oh perfect morals, and worthy of martyrdom or the apostolate!
The Ruins|C. F. [Constantin Francois de] Volney
The next great successor in the apostolate of this idea of the universe was Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire.
History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom|Andrew Dickson White

It was about this period that he was favoured with the remarkable vision or dream relating to his Irish apostolate.
An Illustrated History of Ireland from AD 400 to 1800|Mary Frances Cusack

British Dictionary definitions for apostolate

apostolate

/ (əˈpɒstəlɪt, -ˌleɪt) /

noun

the office, authority, or mission of an apostle

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012