scrip·ture

(skrĭp′chər)

a. A sacred writing or book.

b. A passage from such a writing or book.

2. often Scripture or Scriptures The writings collected as the Bible.

3. A statement regarded as authoritative.

[Middle English, from Late Latin scrīptūra, from Latin, act of writing, from scrīptus, past participle of scrībere, to write; see skrībh- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

scripture

(ˈskrɪptʃə)

a sacred, solemn, or authoritative book or piece of writing

[C13: from Latin scriptūra written material, from scrībere to write]

Scripture

(ˈskrɪptʃə)

1. (Bible) Christianity Also called: Holy Scripture, Holy Writ or the Scriptures the Old and New Testaments

2. any book or body of writings, esp when regarded as sacred by a particular religious group

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

Scrip•ture

(ˈskrɪp tʃər)

n.

1. Often, Scriptures. Also called Holy Scripture (or Scriptures). the sacred writings of the Old or New Testaments or both together.

2. (often l.c.) any writing or book, esp. when of a sacred or religious nature.

3. (sometimes l.c.) a particular passage from the Bible.

4. (l.c.) any collection of writings considered sacred.

[1250–1300; Middle English < Latin scrīptūra writing. See script, -ure]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	Scripture - the sacred writings of the Christian religions; "he went to carry the Word to the heathen" Christian Bible, Good Book, Holy Scripture, Holy Writ, Bible, Word of God, Book, Word religious text, religious writing, sacred text, sacred writing - writing that is venerated for the worship of a deity family Bible - a large Bible with pages to record marriages and births Old Testament - the collection of books comprising the sacred scripture of the Hebrews and recording their history as the chosen people; the first half of the Christian Bible Testament - either of the two main parts of the Christian Bible 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 covenant - (Bible) an agreement between God and his people in which God makes certain promises and requires certain behavior from them in return eisegesis - personal interpretation of a text (especially of the Bible) using your own ideas exegesis - an explanation or critical interpretation (especially of the Bible) text - a passage from the Bible that is used as the subject of a sermon; "the preacher chose a text from Psalms to introduce his sermon" Gabriel - (Bible) the archangel who was the messenger of God Noachian deluge, Noah and the Flood, Noah's flood, the Flood - (Biblical) the great deluge that is said in the Book of Genesis to have occurred in the time of Noah; it was brought by God upon the earth because of the wickedness of human beings demythologise, demythologize - remove the mythical element from (writings); "the Bible should be demythologized and examined for its historical value"
	2.	scripture - any writing that is regarded as sacred by a religious group sacred scripture religious text, religious writing, sacred text, sacred writing - writing that is venerated for the worship of a deity canon - a collection of books accepted as holy scripture especially the books of the Bible recognized by any Christian church as genuine and inspired

scripture

noun The Bible, The Word, The Gospels, The Scriptures, The Word of God, The Good Book, Holy Scripture, Holy Writ, Holy Bible, The Book of Books a quote from scripture

Quotations
"The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose" [William Shakespeare The Merchant of Venice]

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

الكِتاب المُقَدَّس، التوراهكتاب مُقَدَّس

Písmo svatéposvátné knihy

Bibelenhellig skrift

Heilige Schrift Schrift

écriture

Szentírás

biblíanhelgirit

documento la Sacra Scrittura libro Sacra Scrittura

šventasis raštas

Bībelesvētie raksti

hellig bok hellig skrift Skriften

письмо

Písmo svätéposvätné knihy

sveto pismo

İncilkutsal metinler

圣经经文

Scripture

[ˈskrɪptʃəʳ] N

1. (also Holy Scripture) → Sagrada Escritura f

2. (Scol) (= subject, lesson) → Historia f Sagrada

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

Scripture

[ˈskrɪptʃə^r] n

(Christian) → Écriture f sainte
the Holy Scriptures → les Saintes Écritures

(non-Christian) → texte m sacré

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

scripture

Scripture, the Scriptures → die (Heilige) Schrift; the Hindu scriptures → die heiligen Schriften or Bücher der Hindus

(Sch) → Religion f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

Scripture

[ˈskrɪptʃəʳ] n (also Holy Scripture) → Sacre Scritture fpl

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

scripture

(ˈskriptʃə) noun

1. the sacred writings of a religion. Buddhist and Hindu scriptures.

2. the Bible.

ˈscriptural adjective

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

"I confess," replied the Missionary, fingering a number of ten-cent pieces which a Sunday-school in his own country had forwarded to him, "that I am a product of you, but I protest that you cannot quote Scripture with accuracy and point.

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His favourite subjects were church discipline, rites and ceremonies, apostolical succession, the duty of reverence and obedience to the clergy, the atrocious criminality of dissent, the absolute necessity of observing all the forms of godliness, the reprehensible presumption of individuals who attempted to think for themselves in matters connected with religion, or to be guided by their own interpretations of Scripture, and, occasionally (to please his wealthy parishioners) the necessity of deferential obedience from the poor to the rich--supporting his maxims and exhortations throughout with quotations from the Fathers: with whom he appeared to be far better acquainted than with the Apostles and Evangelists, and whose importance he seemed to consider at least equal to theirs.

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Yet all this, which would else have been such heavy sorrow, was made almost a solemn joy to her devout old soul, by religious consolations and the truths of Scripture, wherewith she had fed herself continually for more than thirty years.

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While I was thus gathering strength, my thoughts ran exceedingly upon this Scripture, "I will deliver thee"; and the impossibility of my deliverance lay much upon my mind, in bar of my ever expecting it; but as I was discouraging myself with such thoughts, it occurred to my mind that I pored so much upon my deliverance from the main affliction, that I disregarded the deliverance I had received, and I was as it were made to ask myself such questions as these - viz.

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The Scripture saith, The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God; it is not said, The fool hath thought in his heart; so as he rather saith it, by rote to himself, as that he would have, than that he can thoroughly believe it, or be persuaded of it.

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Eliot, at the close of his Indian Grammar, mentions him as "a pregnant-witted young man, who had been a servant in an English house, who pretty well understood his own language, and had a clear pronunciation." He took this Indian into his family, and by constant intercourse with him soon become sufficiently conversant with the vocabulary and construction of the language to translate the ten commandments, the Lord's prayer, and several passages of Scripture, besides composing exhortations and prayers.

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To Tess's sense there was, just at first, a ghastly BIZARRERIE, a grim incongruity, in the march of these solemn words of Scripture out of such a mouth.

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Got up at eight, read the Scriptures, then went to my duties.

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That age will be rich indeed when those relics which we call Classics, and the still older and more than classic but even less known Scriptures of the nations, shall have still further accumulated, when the Vaticans shall be filled with Vedas and Zendavestas and Bibles, with Homers and Dantes and Shakespeares, and all the centuries to come shall have successively deposited their trophies in the forum of the world.

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They took their place beside the Holy Scriptures and the ancient classic authors, in the minds of the great students of that day.

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Upon the whole, the controversy seems of no great importance to those who believe the Holy Scriptures sufficient to teach the way of salvation, but of whatever moment it may be thought, there are not proofs sufficient to decide it.

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A book which the Mohammedans foolishly believe to have been written by divine inspiration, but which Christians know to be a wicked imposture, contradictory to the Holy Scriptures.

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