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

Zaillian shoots the epistolary exchange as if Tom and Mr. Greenleaf were talking to each other across the Atlantic: a personal address and, therefore, a personal let-down. —Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2024

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson This moving epistolary novel from 2005 earned Robinson the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and inspired three of the author’s subsequent novels. —Mia Barzilay Freund, Vogue, 29 Mar. 2024

Noun

This epidemic of epistolary obscenities first began to show up at the door of one Edith Swan (Olivia Colman), a pious Christian woman who lives with her parents down the lane. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 27 Mar. 2024

Dracula is an epistolary novel, meaning that its story unfolds via a series of letters, diary entries, newspaper articles, and other fragments which together form a complete narrative. —Philip Ellis, Men's Health, 11 Aug. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1900, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

epistolary

adjective

epis·​to·​lary

i-ˈpis-tə-ˌler-ē

: of, relating to, or suitable to a letter