epistolary

[ ih-pis-tl-er-ee ]

adjective

1. contained in or carried on by letters:

   an epistolary friendship.

2. of, relating to, or consisting of letters.

epistolary

/ ɪˈpɪstələrɪ /

adjective

1. relating to, denoting, conducted by, or contained in letters
2. (of a novel or other work) constructed in the form of a series of letters

Other Words From

• une·pisto·lary adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of epistolary¹

First recorded in 1620–30; from Late Latin epistolārius, from Latin epistolāris “of, belonging to a letter; pertaining to letter writing”; epistle, -ar ¹

Example Sentences

Despite this epistolary “mind control,” Roberts soldiered on, landing his first TV gig in 1977 on the soap opera “Another World.”

From Los Angeles Times

Cyrano’s verbal coaching and epistolary interventions provide a means for him to express all that is locked away in his heart.

From Los Angeles Times

Barth also challenged literary conventions in his 1979 epistolary novel “Letters,” in which characters from his first six novels wrote to each other, and he inserted himself as a character as well.

From Seattle Times

But the epistolary style of the book is used not to dish dirt or list grievances.

From Los Angeles Times

Part of the problem is it’s an epistolary novel, a genre that’s effective because what characters hide is as revelatory as what they reveal.

From New York Times