ˌe-pi-ˈstȯ-lə-rē
The Times Literary Supplement (London)
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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
Mia Barzilay Freund, Vogue, 7 July 2025
After all, this is a musical based on an epistolary novel, driven by letters sent between Celie, trapped in an early 20th century world of impoverished Black hurt and her beloved Nettie (Shantel Renee Cribbs), driven away from that world in order to survive.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 1 July 2025
Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 8 July 2025
When Stoker published his epistolary novel, critics saw it as a reflection of aspects of Victoria-era society.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for epistolary
Cite this Entry
“Epistolary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epistolary. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
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