Meanings
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1
noun
a formal or literary letter, especially a long one
The editor received a lengthy epistle defending the controversial essay.
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2
noun
a literary work written in the form of a letter or a series of letters
The poem is an epistle addressed by an exile to his former countrymen.
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3
noun
one of the New Testament letters written by an apostle to a person or Christian community
The sermon drew its theme from Paul's Epistle to the Romans.
Thesaurus
Etymology
From Middle English epistle, reinforced by Old French epistle, from Latin epistola ("letter"), itself from Ancient Greek epistole ("message, letter"). The Greek noun is related to epistellein, "to send to," from epi- ("to, upon") + stellein ("to send"). The specifically Christian sense arose from the apostolic letters in the New Testament.