epistolary

1 of 2

adjective

epis·to·lary i-ˈpi-stə-ˌler-ē

ˌe-pi-ˈstȯ-lə-rē

: of, relating to, or suitable to a letter

: contained in or carried on by letters

an endless sequence of … epistolary love affairs—

The Times Literary Supplement (London)

: 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

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.

Adjective

Their enormous influence, then and now, has inspired an epistolary tradition in the Black literary canon. —

Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 2 Aug. 2024 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

Noun

In a nuanced performance, Ms. Nakayama played two roles: Hiroko, a grieving woman who sends a letter to an old address for her dead fiancé, Itsuki Fujii; and another woman, who happens to also be named Itsuki Fujii and who responds to the letter, starting an epistolary relationship between the two. —

Alex Williams, New York Times, 8 Dec. 2024 The story of Count Dracula is written in epistolary form; it's told through letters written by fictional characters, newspaper clippings, journal entries and other documents. —

Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 29 Oct. 2023 See all Example Sentences for epistolary