adj
Meaning 1
Of or relating to letters, or the writing of letters.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
epistolary
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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Received-Pronunciation: /ɪˈpɪst(ə)ˌl(ə)ɹi/
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Received-Pronunciation: /ɛ-/
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Received-Pronunciation: /ə-/
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Received-Pronunciation: /ɛpɪˈstɒləɹi/
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UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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US: /ɪˈpɪstəˌlɛɹi/
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US: /ˌɛpəˈstɑləɹi/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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CMU ARPABET: IH0 P IH1 S T AH0 L EH2 R IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
adj
Meaning 2
Carried on by written correspondence.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- an epistolary relationship
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 3
In the manner of written correspondence.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- epistolary style
- an epistolary novel
- Bram Stoker's novel Dracula (1897) is written in epistolary style.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
A Christian liturgical book containing set readings for church services from the New Testament Epistles.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: Christianity
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 5
written in the form of or carried on by letters or correspondence
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- an endless sequence of epistolary love affairs
- the epistolatory novel
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: epistolatory
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
1627, from Latin epistolārius, from epistola (“letter”) (English epistle) + -ārius, from Ancient Greek ἐπιστολή (epistolḗ) from ἐπιστέλλω (epistéllō, “to send a message”) from ἐπί (epí, “upon”) + στέλλω (stéllō, “to prepare, send”). For the noun, compare Middle English pistelarie and Old English pistelari, both from Medieval Latin epistolārium, possibly via an unattested *epistelari, *epistolarie.
Across languages
Translations
8 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Hungarian: levélbeli — of or relating to letters, or the writing of letters
- Hungarian: írásbeli — of or relating to letters, or the writing of letters
- Hungarian: episztoláris — of or relating to letters, or the writing of letters
- Polish: epistolarny — of or relating to letters, or the writing of letters
- Polish: listowny — of or relating to letters, or the writing of letters
- Portuguese: epistolar — of or relating to letters, or the writing of letters
- Polish: epistolarny — in the manner of written correspondence
- Portuguese: epistolar — in the manner of written correspondence
Real reading context