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
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
See all Example Sentences for epistle 
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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
See all Example Sentences for epistle
Dictionary Entries Near epistle
Cite this Entry
“Epistle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epistle. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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