Exscriptural

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ɛkˈskɹɪp.t͡ʃəˌɹəl/

Definitions

1. Relating to documents or teachings that lie beyond the officially accepted sacred texts
2. Pertaining to literary works or teachings that are not considered part of the authoritative religious canon
3. Connected with writings or teachings that fall outside recognized holy scriptures

Etymology: "Exscriptural" is a plain formation: the prefix "ex-", meaning "out of" or "outside," joined to "scriptural," the adjective from "scripture." Scripture itself comes from Latin "scriptura," "writing," from "scribere," "to write," so the new word literally describes what lies outside the writings a community treats as sacred. The combination follows a familiar English pattern in which "ex-" marks exclusion or position beyond a boundary, as in "extracurricular" or "extraterritorial." Here the boundary is the canon of recognized holy books, and the word names texts and teachings that sit beyond it, such as apocryphal gospels or non-canonical writings from various traditions.