Scriptures

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Sacred writings recognized as authoritative within various religions, these texts encompass teachings, laws, and doctrines vital to faith practices and moral guidance in communities
2. These revered documents serve as foundational sources of religious beliefs, outlining moral principles, rituals, and spiritual insights for followers of a faith
3. Collections of texts held in high esteem by different faiths, these writings serve as a guide for conduct, beliefs, and spiritual teachings for adherents

Etymology: The most striking thing about "scriptures" is how literal its root is: Latin "scrīptūra" simply meant "a writing," and the religious sense only gathered around it later. The word traces back to "scrībō," "to write," whose supine "scrīptum" gave Latin its noun. Middle English borrowed the form as "scripture," and for centuries the plain sense of writing in general and the sacred sense of holy writing existed side by side. Over time the sacred sense took over. Something that was written became, in the religious vocabulary of Latin-speaking Christians, a particular kind of writing: the texts held to be divinely inspired. English kept this specialised meaning, and the plural "scriptures" now refers to the collected sacred books of a faith tradition, whether that is the Bible, the Quran, or the Vedas.

Synonyms: holy texts, sacred writings