Meanings
scripture1
plural scriptures
- countableuncountableA sacred writing or holy book.
The primary scripture in Zoroastrianism is the Avesta.
2 more examples
In a word, they were made uſe of by the immediate ſucceſſors of the Apoſtles, and many of them read in the Public Aſſemblies of Chriſtians, as Canonical Scripture, without the leaſt mark of Diſtinction, in point of Autority[…]
1732, George Reynolds, A diſſertation: or, Inquiry Concerning the Canonical Autority of the Goſpel according to Mathew; […] , 2nd edition, page 4It would be quite unwise to deem the whole historical enterprise as wrong-headed and to think that one can revert to the gospels' way of reading scripture, […]
2001, Leander Keck, Who is Jesus?, →ISBN, page 143 - broadlycountableuncountableAn authoritative statement.
- Hinduismcountableuncountablea Hindu liturgical text
Scripture2
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe sacred writings of the Christian religions
nounany writing that is regarded as sacred by a religious group
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
scripture · noun
- Proto-Indo-European*(s)ker-?
- Proto-Indo-European*(s)kreybʰ-
- Proto-Indo-European*(s)kréybʰeti
- Proto-Italic*skreiβō
- Latinscrībō
- Latinscrīptūra
- Middle Englishscripture
- Englishscripture
From Middle English scripture, from Latin scrīptūra (“a writing, scripture”), from scrīptum, the supine of scrībō (“to write”). By surface analysis, script + -ure.
More words from Middle English, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Scripture · noun
- Latinscrīptūra“a writing, scripture”
- EnglishScripture
From Latin scrīptūra (“a writing, scripture”), from scrīptum, the supine of scrībō (“to write”).
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian свето писание, свето писание
- свето писание (sveto pisanie)any sacred writing or book
- свето писание (sveto pisanie)religious text
Catalan escriptura
- escripturaany sacred writing or book
Chinese Mandarin 聖書 /圣书
- 聖書 /圣书 (shèngshū)any sacred writing or book
Czech posvátná kniha
- posvátná knihaany sacred writing or book
Esperanto skribo
- skriboany sacred writing or book
Estonian pühakiri
- pühakiriany sacred writing or book
Finnish pyhä kirjoitus, pyhä kirja
- pyhä kirjoitusany sacred writing or book
- pyhä kirjaany sacred writing or book
- pyhä kirjareligious text
- Sanareligious text
French écriture
- écritureany sacred writing or book
German Schrift, heilige Schrift
- Schriftany sacred writing or book
- heilige Schriftany sacred writing or book
- Heilige Schriftreligious text
Greek γραφή
- γραφή (grafí)any sacred writing or book
Hebrew כְּתוּבִים
- כְּתוּבִים (ktuvím)any sacred writing or book
Hindi धर्मग्रंथ
- धर्मग्रंथ (dharmagranth)any sacred writing or book
Hungarian szentírás
- szentírásany sacred writing or book
Icelandic ritningin, ritningargrein
- ritninginany sacred writing or book
- ritningargreinany sacred writing or book
Indonesian kitab suci, kitab
- kitab suciany sacred writing or book
- kitabany sacred writing or book
Japanese 聖句, 聖句
- 聖句 (seiku)any sacred writing or book
- 聖句 (seiku)religious text
Lithuanian šventraštis, raštas
- šventraštisreligious text
- raštasreligious text
Māori karaipiture
- karaipitureany sacred writing or book
Polish święta księga, autorytatywna wypowiedź
- święta księgaany sacred writing or book
- autorytatywna wypowiedźan authoritative statement
- święte księgireligious text
Portuguese escritura, Escrituras
- escrituraany sacred writing or book
- Escriturasreligious text
Punjabi ਕਤੇਬ, کَتیب
- ਕਤੇਬ (kateb)any sacred writing or book
- کَتیب (kateb)any sacred writing or book
Romanian Sfânta Scriptură
- Sfânta Scripturăreligious text
Russian писа́ние, свяще́нное писа́ние
- писа́ние (pisánije)any sacred writing or book
- свяще́нное писа́ние (svjaščénnoje pisánije)any sacred writing or book
- свяще́нная кни́га (svjaščénnaja kníga)any sacred writing or book
- Писа́ние (Pisánije)religious text
Spanish escritura, escriptura
- escrituraany sacred writing or book
- escripturaany sacred writing or book
Tagalog kasulatan, banal na kasulatan
- kasulatanany sacred writing or book
- banal na kasulatanany sacred writing or book
- kasulatanreligious text
Turkish yazı
- yazıany sacred writing or book
Vietnamese thánh thư
- thánh thưany sacred writing or book
Welsh ysgrythur
- ysgrythurany sacred writing or book
Cite this entry
scripture. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scripture
“scripture.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scripture. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “scripture,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scripture.
Source: scripture on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.