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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of epistle
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
The group epistle was sent to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a division of HHS that works on research and tools to improve health care and policy.
—Tom Simonite, Wired, 24 Sep. 2020
See All Example Sentences for epistle
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
The group epistle was sent to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a division of HHS that works on research and tools to improve health care and policy.
—Tom Simonite, Wired, 24 Sep. 2020
See All Example Sentences for epistle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for epistle
letter
Noun
-
Swift had her hair done up in colorful scrunchies and wore a Scramble letter necklace with her character's name Natalie.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
7 Oct. 2025
-
This seven-letter tattoo, all caps, offers the entry point into what makes the Chicago Bears cornerback tick.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Epistle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/epistle. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share