ˌe-pi-ˈstȯ-lə-rē
The Times Literary Supplement (London)
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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
Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2025
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
Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 12 Jan. 2025
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
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Cite this Entry
“Epistolary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epistolary. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.
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