epistolary

adjective epis·to·lary \ i-ˈpi-stə-ˌler-ē , ˌe-pi-ˈstȯ-lə-rē \

Updated on: 8 Apr 2018

Definition of epistolary

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

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epistolary was our Word of the Day on 04/06/2014. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of epistolary from the Web

Jennifer Palmieri gets epistolary and empowering with Dear Madam President (Grand Central).

— vanity fair, Vanities, "What to Read in April," 2 Apr. 2018
The title refers to his epistolary relationship with a fellow student, also in the closet, also on the verge of coming out.

— gary thompson, Philly.com, "'Love, Simon': A teen's coming out story. Too bad he's so bland," 14 Mar. 2018
Ubisoft wants to build worlds, and the company is accomplishing it with a unique companion book that is part survival guide, part epistolary novel.

— mo mozuch, Newsweek, "How to (Virtually) Survive in Post-Apocalypse Manhattan," 23 Feb. 2016
The epistolary event, which Usher co-produces with Canongate Books' Jamie Byng and Cumberbatch's producing partner Adam Ackland, is spare in execution but potent.

— deborah vankin, latimes.com, "'Letters Live' makes its U.S. public debut at Theatre at Ace Hotel," 24 Feb. 2018
Done with just two actors in epistolary form, the play traces the 50-year relationship - or, non-relationship - of Melissa Gardner and Andrew Makepeace Ladd III.

— laura demarco, cleveland.com, "Love story: Dorothy Silver and Theatre in the Circle bring poignant 'Love Letters' to life for Valentine's Day," 4 Feb. 2018
The epistolary novel — written from John Ames, a 76-year-old Congregationalist minister, to his 7-year-old son — is a careful, observant family and personal history that aches with the beauty and bitterness of the world.

— nicole lamy, New York Times, "Dear Match Book: Religion in Fiction," 26 Dec. 2017
Thanks to AOL Instant Messenger, which first launched in 1997, those of us who came of age in the late ’90s and early aughts were the pioneers of digital epistolary culture.

— henry grabar, Slate Magazine, "Farewell to AOL Instant Messenger, which taught me how to flirt.," 6 Oct. 2017
But brands other than Netflix have started scoring PR points for their lawyers’ thoughtful epistolary approaches.

— joe pinsker, The Atlantic, "Not a Regular Cease-and-Desist, A Cool Cease-and-Desist," 21 Sep. 2017

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

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. Dating from the 13th century, epistle came to English 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").

First Known Use of epistolary

circa 1656

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

epistolary

noun

Definition of epistolary

plural epistolaries

: a lectionary containing a body of liturgical epistles

First Known Use of epistolary

circa 1900

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Christian Religious Terms

Pentateuch, blasphemy, curate, doxology, eremite, iconoclasm, liturgy, orison, pneuma, reliquary

EPISTOLARY Defined for English Language Learners

epistolary

adjective

Definition of epistolary for English Language Learners

: of or relating to a letter : suitable to a letter
: written in the form of a series of letters

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epistolary

Definition of epistolary

epistolary was our Word of the Day on 04/06/2014. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of epistolary from the Web

Did You Know?

First Known Use of epistolary

epistolary

Definition of epistolary

First Known Use of epistolary

Other Christian Religious Terms

EPISTOLARY Defined for English Language Learners

epistolary

Definition of epistolary for English Language Learners

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epistolary

Definition of epistolary

epistolary was our Word of the Day on 04/06/2014. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of epistolary from the Web

Did You Know?

First Known Use of epistolary

epistolary

Definition of epistolary

First Known Use of epistolary

Other Christian Religious Terms

EPISTOLARY Defined for English Language Learners

epistolary

Definition of epistolary for English Language Learners

Learn More about epistolary

Seen and Heard

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