APOSTLE

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

• APOSTLE (noun)
  The noun APOSTLE has 3 senses:

1. an ardent early supporter of a cause or reform

2. any important early teacher of Christianity or a Christian missionary to a people

3. (New Testament) one of the original 12 disciples chosen by Christ to preach his gospel

  Familiarity information: APOSTLE used as a noun is uncommon.

• APOSTLE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An ardent early supporter of a cause or reform

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Context example:

an apostle of revolution

Hypernyms ("apostle" is a kind of...):

believer; truster (a supporter who accepts something as true)

Derivation:

apostleship (the position of apostle)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Any important early teacher of Christianity or a Christian missionary to a people

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

Apostelic Father; Apostle

Hypernyms ("Apostle" is a kind of...):

Christian (a religious person who believes Jesus is the Christ and who is a member of a Christian denomination)

Instance hyponyms:

Luke; Saint Luke; St. Luke ((New Testament) the Apostle closely associated with St. Paul and traditionally assumed to be the author of the third Gospel)

Mark; Saint Mark; St. Mark (Apostle and companion of Saint Peter; assumed to be the author of the second Gospel)

Patrick; Saint Patrick; St. Patrick (Apostle and patron saint of Ireland; an English missionary to Ireland in the 5th century)

Apostle of the Gentiles; Apostle Paul; Paul; Paul the Apostle; Saint Paul; Saul; Saul of Tarsus; St. Paul ((New Testament) a Christian missionary to the Gentiles; author of several Epistles in the New Testament; even though Paul was not present at the Last Supper he is considered an Apostle)

Derivation:

apostolic (of or relating to or deriving from the Apostles or their teachings)

Sense 3

Meaning:

(New Testament) one of the original 12 disciples chosen by Christ to preach his gospel

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("Apostle" is a kind of...):

Christian (a religious person who believes Jesus is the Christ and who is a member of a Christian denomination)

adherent; disciple (someone who believes and helps to spread the doctrine of another)

Domain category:

New Testament (the collection of books of the Gospels, Acts of the Apostles, the Pauline and other epistles, and Revelation; composed soon after Christ's death; the second half of the Christian Bible)

Instance hyponyms:

Andrew; Saint Andrew; Saint Andrew the Apostle; St. Andrew ((New Testament) disciple of Jesus; brother of Peter; patron saint of Scotland)

James; Saint James; Saint James the Apostle; St. James; St. James the Apostle ((New Testament) disciple of Jesus; brother of John; author of the Epistle of James in the New Testament)

John; John the Divine; John the Evangelist; Saint John; Saint John the Apostle; St. John; St. John the Apostle ((New Testament) disciple of Jesus; traditionally said to be the author of the 4th Gospel and three epistles and the book of Revelation)

Judas; Judas Iscariot ((New Testament) the Apostle who betrayed Jesus to his enemies for 30 pieces of silver)

Judas; Jude; Saint Jude; St. Jude; Thaddaeus ((New Testament) supposed brother of St. James; one of the Apostles who is invoked in prayer when a situation seems hopeless)

Levi; Matthew; Saint Matthew; Saint Matthew the Apostle; St. Matthew; St. Matthew the Apostle ((New Testament) disciple of Jesus; traditionally considered to be the author of the first Gospel)

Peter; Saint Peter; Saint Peter the Apostle; Simon Peter; St. Peter; St. Peter the Apostle (disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope)

Simon; Simon the Canaanite; Simon the Zealot; Simon Zelotes; St. Simon (one of the twelve Apostles (first century))

doubting Thomas; Saint Thomas; St. Thomas; Thomas; Thomas the doubting Apostle (the Apostle who would not believe the resurrection of Jesus until he saw Jesus with his own eyes)

Derivation:

apostleship (the position of apostle)

apostolic; apostolical (of or relating to or deriving from the Apostles or their teachings)

 Context examples 

His is the exaction of the apostle, who speaks but for Christ, when he says—Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

But I was no apostle,—I could not behold the herald,—I could not receive his call.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Rosamond a sufferer, a labourer, a female apostle?

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

I must see the light of the unsnuffed candle wane on my employment; the shadows darken on the wrought, antique tapestry round me, and grow black under the hangings of the vast old bed, and quiver strangely over the doors of a great cabinet opposite—whose front, divided into twelve panels, bore, in grim design, the heads of the twelve apostles, each enclosed in its separate panel as in a frame; while above them at the top rose an ebon crucifix and a dying Christ.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)