epistle

[ ih-pis-uhl ]

noun

1. a letter, especially a formal or didactic one; written communication.
2. (usually initial capital letter) one of the apostolic letters in the New Testament.
3. (often initial capital letter) an extract, usually from one of the Epistles of the New Testament, forming part of the Eucharistic service in certain churches.

Epistle

¹

/ ɪˈpɪsəl /

noun

1. New Testament any of the apostolic letters of Saints Paul, Peter, James, Jude, or John
2. a reading from one of the Epistles, forming part of the Eucharistic service in many Christian Churches

epistle

²

/ ɪˈpɪsəl /

noun

1. a letter, esp one that is long, formal, or didactic
2. a literary work in letter form, esp a dedicatory verse letter of a type originated by Horace

Word History and Origins

Origin of epistle¹

before 900; Middle English; Old English epistol < Latin epistula, epistola < Greek epistolḗ message, letter, equivalent to epi- epi- + stol- (variant stem of stéllein to send) + -ē noun suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of epistle¹

Old English epistol, via Latin from Greek epistolē, from epistellein to send to, from stellein to prepare, send

Example Sentences

All these actors forced questions onto the agenda of the British and the colonists, but few of them produced the kind of epistles that this book examines.

From Washington Post

On Halloween Ed proved he has not been forgotten when he published a now-famous epistle in response to the Jian Ghomeshi scandal.

From The Daily Beast

There was plenty more like this--every epistle dumber than the previous--but you get the general idea.

From The Daily Beast

Ripperda accompanied this unexpected refusal, with a laboured epistle to his imperial friend.

From Project Gutenberg

Enclosed within this long epistle was a brief note from Mariamne.

From Project Gutenberg

Without a word the sailor took the epistle, read it slowly, while the boy watched him keenly, then thrust it under his pillow.

From Project Gutenberg

These last three verses are a kind of preface to the following chapter, which is written in the style of an epistle from the king.

From Project Gutenberg

Horace combats this prejudice with equal force and address in his fine epistle to Augustus.

From Project Gutenberg