epistolary

• Hyphenation: e‧pis‧to‧la‧ry
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɪˈpɪst(ə)ˌləɹi/

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1650s, from French épistolaire, from Latin epistolārius, from epistola (“letter”) (English epistle) + -ārius,[1] from Ancient Greek ἐπιστολή (epistolḗ) from ἐπιστέλλω (epistéllō, “I send a message”) from ἐπί (epí, “upon”) + στέλλω (stéllō, “I prepare, send”).

epistolary (comparative more epistolary, superlative most epistolary)

1. Of or relating to letters, or the writing of letters.
2. Carried on by written correspondence.

   an epistolary relationship

3. In the manner of written correspondence.

   epistolary style

   an epistolary novel

   • 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “A Request Refused”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 297:

     But Sir Jasper has a great talent for epistolary correspondence—to be sure he has nothing else to do; but my time is of great importance.

• epistle

From Middle English pistelarie, from Latin epistolārium, from epistola (“letter”) (English epistle) + -ārium, from Ancient Greek ἐπιστολή (epistolḗ) from ἐπιστέλλω (epistéllō, “I send a message”) from ἐπί (epí, “upon”) + στέλλω (stéllō, “I prepare, send”).

epistolary (plural epistolaries)

1. (Christianity) A Christian liturgical book containing set readings for church services from the New Testament Epistles.