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. Also called 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:
His poems can seem like black crystals; hold them to the light and they glint with ash, Scripture, lovers’ voices and breath.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
Never mind the miracles — according to Scripture, Sarah lived to 127 years old, while Abraham was kicking up dust until he was 175.
From Salon ● Mar. 29, 2026
Almost all the words came from Scripture and 18th-century poetry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 24, 2026
The judgment of Solomon, found in Chapter 3 of 1 Kings, is one of the most familiar stories in the Hebrew Scripture.
From Slate ● Sep. 5, 2025
Different nationalities were asked to translate different bits of Scripture.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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
A recent attempt by the government in India's northern state of Punjab to introduce a tougher law punishing sacrilege against the Sikh holy scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, has triggered a controversy.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
He also argued that human beings were meant to live to 120 years, citing biblical scripture.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
How appropriate that its bittersweet final act is so steeped in scripture, echoing God’s words to Rebekah about Jacob and Esau’s destiny.
From Salon ● May 19, 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
Definitions 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.
