apostle

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noun apos·tle \ ə-ˈpä-səl \

Definition of apostle

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

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apostleship

play \-ˌship\ noun

See apostle defined for English-language learners

See apostle defined for kids

Examples of apostle in a Sentence

a fervent apostle of universal health care

Recent Examples of apostle from the Web

When villages reject the message, the apostles are angered but Jesus is not.

— russell moore, Washington Post, "Russell Moore: White supremacy angers Jesus, but does it anger his church?," 14 Aug. 2017
At a fundamental level, Jesus only took men to be his apostles.

— the tylt, AL.com, "Should the Catholic Church allow women to become priests?," 24 July 2017
In the New Testament, the apostles would lay hands on believers, often using it as a sign of responsibility or authority.

— sarah pulliam bailey, Washington Post, "Photo surfaces of evangelical pastors laying hands on Trump in the Oval Office," 12 July 2017
The successful submission would also include an atrium, possibly with sculptures of the apostles and saints connected to the region, including Saint Juniper Serra and Saint Teresa of Calcutta.

— sandra dibble, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Tijuana archbishop calls for proposals to build new cathedral," 19 June 2017
There are grapevines and cupids, as well as depictions of Noah and his ark, Daniel and the lions and Christ and his apostles.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "Restored Roman Catacombs Reveal Stunning Frescoes," 5 June 2017
Hanegraaff answered questions about his decision to embrace Orthodoxy, an ancient faith that traces its beginnings to Jesus’ apostles.

— tim funk, charlotteobserver, "The photo that lost radio’s ‘Bible Answer Man’ thousands of listeners," 2 June 2017
Laurie’s drugging of the Last Supper with dog medicine made for excellently gonzo cinema, with the scene progressively becoming more surreal as the would-be apostles began to lose their faculties.

— sophie gilbert, The Atlantic, "The Leftovers," 21 May 2017
Franklin County, created in 1913, is named for Mormon apostle Franklin D. Richards — the only one of 24 Franklin counties in the United States not named for Benjamin Franklin.

— arthur hart, idahostatesman, "Idaho’s history is reflected in the names of her counties," 20 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'apostle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of apostle

Middle English, from Anglo-French & Old English; Anglo-French apostle & Old English apostol, both from Late Latin apostolus, from Greek apostolos, from apostellein to send away, from apo- + stellein to send

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First Known Use: before 12th century

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