apostle

noun

apos·​tle ə-ˈpä-səl How to pronounce apostle (audio)
1
: one sent on a mission: such as
a
: one of an authoritative New Testament group sent out to preach the gospel and made up especially of Christ's 12 original disciples and Paul
b
: the first prominent Christian missionary to a region or group
St. Boniface, the Apostle of Germany
2
a
: a person who initiates a great moral reform or who first advocates an important belief or system
b
: an ardent supporter : adherent
apostles of high technology
3
: the highest ecclesiastical official in some church organizations
4
: one of a Mormon administrative council of 12 men
apostleship noun

Examples of apostle in a Sentence

a fervent apostle of universal health care
Recent Examples on the Web Though nowhere near as widely known as Milton Friedman and George Stigler, his fellow free-market apostles, Henry G. Manne, a co-founder of the law and economics movement centered at the University of Chicago, emerges as an important figure in this swing of the pendulum. James B. Stewart, New York Times, 16 May 2024 Every inch of the Orthodox church is covered in ornate iconography depicting saints, apostles, martyrs and scenes from the Bible — from Jesus Christ’s most famous miracles to the story of his crucifixion. Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for apostle 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'apostle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English apostel, apostle, postel, in part going back to Old English apostol, in part borrowed from Anglo-French apostle, apostoile, appostre, both borrowed from Late Latin apostolus "ambassador, Apostle (of the New Testament)," borrowed from Greek apóstolos "messenger, envoy, (Septuagint) messenger from God, (New Testament) Apostle," noun derivative of apostéllein "to send off or away, dispatch," from apo- apo- + stéllein "to set in order, equip, prepare for a journey, send," going back to Indo-European *stel- "put up, prepare," whence also Old Church Slavic posteljǫ, postĭlati "to spread out," Albanian shtiell "wind up, reel up, collect" (from *stel-n-) and perhaps Old Prussian stallīt "to stand," Armenian stełcanem, (aorist) stełci "prepare, create" (with -c- of uncertain origin)

Note: Along with Attic-Ionic stéllein, Greek forms in Lesbian dialect and forms attested by the grammarian Hesychius that appear to be Aeolic show a variant spel-/spol-. This has led to the conjecture of a distinct root *skwel- "set in order" alongside *stel- "send"; however, the evidence for *skwel- outside Greek is exiguous. Germanic *stal(l)jan- "to fix, set, place" (whence Old English stellan, Old Saxon stellian, Old High German stellen) could be an outcome of *stel-, though it is usually taken as denominal from *stalla- "stand, stall, stable" (see stall entry 1).

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of apostle was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near apostle

Cite this Entry

“Apostle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apostle. Accessed 29 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

apostle

noun
apos·​tle ə-ˈpäs-əl How to pronounce apostle (audio)
1
a
: one of a group made up of Christ's twelve original disciples and Paul
b
: the first Christian missionary to a region
2
a
: the person who first puts forward an important belief or starts a great reform
b
: a loyal supporter : adherent
apostleship noun
Etymology

Middle English apostle "teacher sent out by Christ," derived from Greek apostolos "one sent on a mission"

More from Merriam-Webster on apostle

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