Word of the Day - 09/12/25
epistolary
/ɪ'pɪstə,lɛri/(adj.): written in the form of or carried on by letters or correspondence
Her novel was epistolary, consisting entirely of letters between the two main characters.
Word Origin
The word 'epistolary' originates from the Latin 'epistolaris', which means 'relating to a letter'. This, in turn, comes from 'epistola', meaning 'letter'. The Latin 'epistola' was borrowed from the Ancient Greek 'epistolē' (ἐπιστολή), also meaning 'letter' or 'message'. The Greek word is derived from the verb 'epistellein' (ἐπιστέλλειν), meaning 'to send to' or 'to send a message'. The word can be broken down into 'epi-' (to, on, toward) and 'stellein' (to send).
The most direct similar word is 'epistle', which refers to a letter, particularly a formal or didactic one. Another word that shares the 'stellein' root (meaning 'to send') from Greek is 'apostle', from 'apostellein' (to send forth or send away).