epistle
epistle Lexical Profile
epistle Game Scores & Validity
• noun
One of the canonical letters included as books of the Christian New Testament, written by the apostles to early Christian communities or individuals.
"During the theology seminar, the students analyzed the Apostle Paul's epistle to the Romans."
A letter, especially a long, formal, or didactic one intended for public instruction (often used humorously in modern contexts).
"The grumpy tenant sent a five-page epistle to the landlord detailing every minor maintenance issue in the building."
A poem or other literary work written in the form of a formal letter addressed to a specific person or group.
"Alexander Pope's philosophical poem is structured as a verse epistle addressed to his friend Lord Bolingbroke."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'epistle' (a formal letter or biblical text) with 'apostle' (an early Christian missionary or follower of Jesus, who often authored epistles). In modern non-religious contexts, 'epistle' is frequently used humorously or ironically to describe an overly long, formal, or preachy email or letter.
• Rhymes for epistle
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed via Old French from Latin 'epistola', which comes from Ancient Greek 'epistolē' ('message, letter'), derived from 'epistellein' ('to send to'), combining 'epi-' ('to') and 'stellein' ('to send').