ETYM Old Eng. epistle, epistel, AS. epistol, pistol, Latin epistola; cf. Old Fren. epistle, epistre, French épître. Related to Stall.
Especially a long, formal letter.
In the New Testament, any of the 21 letters to individuals or to the members of various churches written by Christian leaders, including the 13 written by St Paul. The term also describes a letter with a suggestion of pomposity and literary affectation, and a letter addressed to someone in the form of a poem, as in the epistles of Horace and Alexander Pope.
The epistolary novel, a story told as a series of (fictitious) letters, was popularized by Samuel Richardson in the 18th century. + prikaži više

1. The conventional characters of the alphabet used to represent speech; SYN. letter of the alphabet, alphabetic character.
2. A written message addressed to a person or organization; SYN. missive.
3. A strictly literal interpretation (as distinct from the intention)
4. An award earned by participation in a school sport; SYN. varsity letter.
Written or printed message, chiefly a personal communication. Letters are valuable as reflections of social conditions and of literary and political life. Legally, ownership of a letter (as a document) passes to the recipient, but the copyright remains with the writer. + prikaži više