# apostle

/əˈpɑsəɫ/ (US) · /ɐpˈɒsəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/apostle
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. Christian history

noun · CEFR B2

one of the twelve original followers of Jesus who were sent to teach his message.

For teachers: any of the twelve primary disciples chosen by Jesus to preach the Gospel.

- The Bible tells stories about the lives and travels of each apostle.
- The iconography of the cathedral depicts each apostle with a specific symbol representing their individual martyrdom or mission.

Usage: Often capitalized as 'Apostle' when referring to the specific biblical group.

### 2. advocate of a cause

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a person who strongly supports and spreads a new idea or movement.

For teachers: a pioneer or early advocate who promotes a particular cause, belief, or social movement.

- He was an early apostle of renewable energy long before it was popular.
- As a dedicated apostle of free trade, the economist spent decades lobbying governments to reduce international tariffs.

### 3. Mormon official

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a high-ranking leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

For teachers: a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, a high-level governing body in the LDS Church.

- The apostle traveled to different countries to speak at church conferences.
- The newly sustained apostle addressed the congregation regarding the administrative challenges facing the global church.

### 4. legal appeal document

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Technical

a formal letter or record sent from a lower court to a higher court for an appeal.

For teachers: a dismissory letter or a summary record of a trial court sent to an appellate court.

- The lawyer prepared the apostle to be sent to the appeals court.
- The judge granted the request for an apostle, allowing the case to proceed to the higher jurisdiction for review.

Teaching tip: This legal sense is extremely rare in modern general English and is mostly found in historical legal texts.

## Examples

- He is an apostle of modern art.
- The twelve apostles were chosen to spread the teachings of Jesus across the region.
- As an apostle of free-market economics, he argued passionately for deregulation in every policy debate.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.