as in letter
a message on paper from one person or group to another
the epistles of Saint Paul to various communities of early Christians
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Recent Examples of epistle
One of the earliest witnesses to the spread of Christianity, the codex features the first epistle of Peter and the Book of Jonah.
—
Lianne Kolirin, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024
Yet the novel evolved incrementally from public to private, epistle to narrative as the scope of the vision enlarged.
—David L. Ulin, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2024
The Pauline epistles contain numerous references to women who were instrumental in the leadership of the early church: Phoebe, a deaconess; Chloe; Apphia; Euodia; Nympha; Junia.
—Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 31 July 2023
The Rapture has no scriptural basis besides an obviously metaphorical verse in Paul’s first epistle to the Thessalonians.
—Michael Robbins, Harper’s Magazine , 9 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for epistle
Lianne Kolirin, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024
Yet the novel evolved incrementally from public to private, epistle to narrative as the scope of the vision enlarged.
—David L. Ulin, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2024
The Pauline epistles contain numerous references to women who were instrumental in the leadership of the early church: Phoebe, a deaconess; Chloe; Apphia; Euodia; Nympha; Junia.
—Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 31 July 2023
The Rapture has no scriptural basis besides an obviously metaphorical verse in Paul’s first epistle to the Thessalonians.
—Michael Robbins, Harper’s Magazine , 9 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for epistle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for epistle
letter
Noun
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Share your opinion about this story in a letter to the editor, which could be published online and in print.—
Elliott Wenzler,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
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Palace said the film serves as a love letter to the England team and its fans, celebrating the pride and unity across the country brought on by soccer, and the film’s intentionally fast and gritty pace highlights England team’s attacking style of play.—
Tianwei Zhang,
Footwear News,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Epistle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/epistle. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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