Scripture
noun
Often Scriptures. the sacred writings of the Old or New Testaments or both together.
Scripture
American
[skrip-cher]
/ ˈskrɪp tʃər /
noun
-
Also called Holy Scripture. Also called Holy Scriptures. Often Scriptures. the sacred writings of the Old or New Testaments or both together.
-
(often lowercase) any writing or book, especially when of a sacred or religious nature.
-
(sometimes lowercase) a particular passage from the Bible; text.
Scripture
1
British
/ ˈskrɪptʃə /
noun
-
Also called: Holy Scripture. Holy Writ. the Scriptures. Christianity the Old and New Testaments
-
any book or body of writings, esp when regarded as sacred by a particular religious group
scripture
2
British
/ ˈskrɪptʃə /
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of Scripture
1250–1300; Middle English < Latin scrīptūra writing. See script, -ure
Explanation
Scripture is a sacred religious text. It usually refers to the Christian Bible, but it can refer to other religions' texts as well. The noun scripture is most often used for specifically Christian writing, and it's often capitalized. However, it can refer to any religion's sacred writing: "Hindu scripture is written on the walls of the temple." In the 1300s, scripture sometimes meant simply "writing," though it more often referred to sacred words, especially in the Christian Bible. Its root word is the Latin script, or "writing."
Vocabulary lists containing scripture
The Write Stuff: Scrib, Script
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"The Hill We Climb," by Amanda Gorman
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Inherit the Wind
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
His poems can seem like black crystals; hold them to the light and they glint with ash, Scripture, lovers’ voices and breath.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
Almost all the words came from Scripture and 18th-century poetry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 24, 2026
The judgment of Solomon, found in Chapter 3 of 1 Kings, is one of the most familiar stories in the Hebrew Scripture.
From Slate ● Sep. 5, 2025
Scripture does not record the birth date of Jesus Christ, and so early Christian scholars spent centuries wrangling over when to celebrate this most important apotheosis.
From Salon ● Dec. 24, 2024
She was startled once into attention during the Scripture reading.
From "Lyddie" by Katherine Paterson
His early success turning a few hundred million dollars into $45 billion earned him a cult following in online circles, where his firm’s routine regulatory filings were pored over like scripture.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
The lesson of the scripture is that everyone can be redeemed, can change, no matter what mistakes they have made.
From Slate ● Jul. 10, 2026
A recent attempt by the government in India's northern state of Punjab to introduce a tougher law punishing sacrilege against the Sikh holy scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, has triggered a controversy.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
One could read the entire scripture — both the Old and New Testaments — as an allegory for humanity’s penchant for payback, and God’s many warnings against it.
From Salon ● May 19, 2026
“Girl, are you even listening to me? You heard what I said? Pastor wants me, ME, to read the scripture this Sunday. In front of ALL those people! I can’t! I’mma mess up and then...”
From "Monday's Not Coming" by Tiffany D. Jackson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
