apostle

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

2a : 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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Examples of apostle in a Sentence

a fervent apostle of universal health care

Recent Examples on the Web

Ancient Christian writers, like John Cassian, claimed that the origins of monasticism lay in the examples set by the apostles of Jesus, who gave up everything to follow him. — Kim Haines-eitzen, The Conversation, "The struggle to find silence in the ancient monastic world – and now," 10 June 2019 The Holy See insisted on the pope's right to name bishops to preserve the apostolic succession that dates to Jesus' original apostles. — Nicole Winfield, Fox News, "Pope acknowledges China bishop deal will cause suffering," 25 Sep. 2018 Sixteen statues—of twelve apostles and four evangelists—were taken down from the cathedral's roof near the spire on April 11. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "Notre-Dame Cathedral Was Reportedly Saved from "Total Destruction"," 15 Apr. 2019 Art Bell, an apostle of the paranormal whose disembodied voice drew millions to his late-night radio soapbox beamed from the Mojave Desert, died on April 13 at his home in Pahrump, Nev. — Sam Roberts, New York Times, "Art Bell, Radio Host Who Tuned In to the Dark Side, Dies at 72," 17 Apr. 2018 When an apostle dies, a replacement is selected by the president. — Matthew Bowman, Washington Post, "The Mormon Church has appointed its next president. Here’s what to expect.," 16 Jan. 2018 Among more recent apostles of this holistic view is the writer Wendell Berry, whose experiences on his Kentucky farm turned him decades ago into an insightful critic of US agricultural practices. — BostonGlobe.com, "Biographies highlight some key figures in environmentalism," 27 Apr. 2018 The texts are believed to have been written by early Christians, including some of the apostles, but they are not included in the New Testament. — Alexandra Wolfe, WSJ, "In New Book, Religion Scholar Elaine Pagels Tells Her Own Story," 26 Oct. 2018 Church doctrine requires an all-male priesthood, on the grounds that Jesus’ apostles were male. — Nicole Winfield, The Seattle Times, "Pressure building on Vatican to give women vote at synod," 15 Oct. 2018

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.