epistle

CEFRC2

/ɪˈpɪs.əl/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A formal letter, especially one in the Bible.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    A letter, especially one which is formal or issued publicly.

Examples

  • The apostle wrote an epistle to the community.

  • The epistle was read aloud in church.

At a glance

Sits at C2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. A literary composition in the form of a letter or series of letters, especially one in verse.

  2. One of the books of the New Testament which was originally a letter issued by an apostle to an individual or a community.

  3. An extract from a New Testament epistle (noun sense 3.1) or book other than a gospel which is read during a church service, chiefly the Eucharist.

More examples

In context

  • The scholar wrote a detailed epistle to his fellow researchers.

  • [Y]our Grace ſhal herein perceiue a nevv faſhion of diſcourſe, by Epistles; nevv to our language, uſual to others: and (as Noueltie is neuer vvithout ſome plea of vſe) more free, more familiar.

  • The Evangiles and Acts, teach us vvhat to beleeve, but the Epiſtles of the Apoſtles vvhat to do.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

Paul wrote a long blank to the Romans about faith and salvation.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

PIE word *h₁epi The noun is derived from Middle English epistel, epistole, pistel (“letter; literary work in letter form; written legend or story; spoken communication; (Christianity) one of the letters by an apostle in the New Testament; extract from such a letter read as part of the Mass”) [and other forms], and then partly: * from Old English epistol, epistola, pistol (“letter, epistle”), from Latin epistola (“letter, epistle; literary work in letter form”) (whence Late Latin epistola (“one of the letters by an apostle in the New Testament”)), from Ancient Greek ἐπῐστολή (epĭstolḗ, “letter; message”), from ἐπῐστέλλω (epĭstéllō, “to inform by, or to send, a letter or message”) (from ἐπῐ-...