Apostles
nounThe plural of apostle: the chief early followers sent out to spread a religious teaching, or by extension committed promoters of a cause.
How to spell apostles
8 letters · 3 syllables
How to pronounce apostles
Say the part in capitals loudest.
What does apostles mean?
- nounThe plural of apostle: the chief early followers sent out to spread a religious teaching, or by extension committed promoters of a cause.
Apostles in a sentence
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The museum exhibit displayed medieval paintings of the twelve apostles.
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The founders saw themselves as apostles of free public education.
Where does apostles come from?
Language of origin: Greek
The word traces back to the Greek apostolos, meaning 'a messenger' or 'one who is sent forth', which was built from the verb apostellein, 'to send away'. That verb in turn combines apo, meaning 'away' or 'off', with stellein, meaning 'to send' or 'to set in order'. Early Christian writers used the term for the twelve men Jesus sent out to spread his teaching, and it passed into Latin as apostolus before reaching Old English as apostol, partly through church usage. The silent t in the modern spelling is a quiet reminder of that classical stol root, even though English speakers no longer pronounce it. The same Greek stellein lies behind words such as 'epistle', a letter that is likewise 'sent'.
How the word is built
- apo- (away, forth)
- stol (from stellein, to send)
- -e
- -s (plural): literally 'those sent forth'
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