Apostle

How to spell apostle

7 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce apostle

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does apostle mean?

1. nounOne of the principal early followers whom Jesus sent out to spread his teaching.
2. nounA vigorous supporter or promoter of a particular idea, policy, or cause.

Apostle in a sentence

• The painting shows each apostle seated at the long table.

• She became a leading apostle of open-source software in the industry.

• The cathedral is dedicated to a single apostle from the New Testament.

• The economist was an early apostle of free trade between the two nations.

Where does apostle come from?

Language of origin: Greek

This word traces back to the Greek apostolos, which literally meant 'one who is sent forth' or 'a messenger'. It was built from the verb apostellein, joining apo- 'away, off' with stellein 'to send or set out', so the original picture is of a person dispatched on a mission. Early Christian writers adopted the term for the followers Jesus sent out to spread his teaching, and from there it passed into Latin as apostolus. English absorbed it very early through Old English apostol, reinforced later by the Old French apostle, which is why the modern spelling keeps that French-looking -stle ending. The silent t and the soft, swallowed second syllable are exactly the spots that trip writers up, even though the older sense of a 'messenger sent out' still lingers when we call someone an apostle of a cause.

How the word is built

• apo- (away, forth)
• -stle (from Greek stellein: to send)