epistle

noun

epis·​tle i-ˈpi-səl 

1

capitalized

a

: one of the letters adopted as books of the New Testament

b

: a liturgical lection usually from one of the New Testament Epistles

2

a

: letter

especially : a formal or elegant letter

b

: a composition in the form of a letter

epistler

i-ˈpi-sə-lər 

noun

Synonyms

• dispatch
• letter
• memo
• memorandum
• missive
• note

Examples of epistle in a Sentence

St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans.

He penned lengthy epistles to her.

Recent Examples on the Web

One of the earliest witnesses to the spread of Christianity, the codex features the first epistle of Peter and the Book of Jonah. —Lianne Kolirin, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024

Yet the novel evolved incrementally from public to private, epistle to narrative as the scope of the vision enlarged. —David L. Ulin, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2024

The Pauline epistles contain numerous references to women who were instrumental in the leadership of the early church: Phoebe, a deaconess; Chloe; Apphia; Euodia; Nympha; Junia. —Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 31 July 2023

The Rapture has no scriptural basis besides an obviously metaphorical verse in Paul’s first epistle to the Thessalonians. —Michael Robbins, Harper’s Magazine , 9 Nov. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, letter, Epistle, from Anglo-French, from Latin epistula, epistola letter, from Greek epistolē message, letter, from epistellein to send to, from epi- + stellein to send

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

epistle

noun

epis·​tle i-ˈpis-əl 

1

capitalized : any of the letters to the early Christians that are part of the New Testament

2

: a formal letter