epistolary

1 of 2

adjective

epis·​to·​lary i-ˈpi-stə-ˌler-ē  ˌe-pi-ˈstȯ-lə-rē 

1

: of, relating to, or suitable to a letter

2

: contained in or carried on by letters

… an endless sequence of … epistolary love affairs.

—The Times Literary Supplement (London)

3

: written in the form of a series of letters

an epistolary novel

epistolary

2 of 2

noun

plural epistolaries

: a lectionary containing a body of liturgical epistles

Did you know?

Epistolary was formed from the noun epistle, which refers to a composition written in the form of a letter to a particular person or group. In its original sense, epistle refers to one of the 21 letters (such as those from the apostle Paul) found in the New Testament. Epistle came to English in the 13th century, via Anglo-French and Latin, from the Greek noun epistolē, meaning "message" or "letter." Epistolē, in turn, came from the verb epistellein, meaning "to send to" or "to send from." Epistolary appeared in English four centuries after epistle and can be used to describe something related to or contained in a letter (as in "epistolary greetings") or composed of letters (as in "an epistolary novel").

Examples of epistolary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

This is somewhat detrimental to the development of Karen, since cutting back and forth interrupts the flow of her epistolary relationship with Wilson, whose stories morph into intimate letters. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026

Freire also shared her preferred reading order for Austen’s six major novels—as well as the epistolary work Lady Susan. — Eva Blanco Medina, Vogue, 10 Sep. 2026

The book offers the bulk of its attention to these parts, using every literary device at its disposal, from interview fragments to the epistolary form, to put surviving the unthinkable into words. — Tembe Denton-Hurst, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026

The Wiener Werkstätte’s undue obscurity may have something to do with not only those epistolary expressions of skepticism by the founding fathers of the Frankfurt School, but also Hoffmann’s latter-day Nazism, which in this show goes unmentioned. — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 24 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1900, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for epistolary

• accretionary
• apothecary
• bicentenary
• certiorari
• concessionary
• concretionary
• confectionary
• confectionery
• constabulary
• contemporary
• deflationary
• depositary

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Kids Definition

epistolary

adjective

epis·​to·​lary

i-ˈpis-tə-ˌler-ē

: of, relating to, or suitable to a letter