Definition

Noun: 1. Sacred scripture; the canonical writings of a religion, especially Christianity: The term refers to the collection of texts considered divinely inspired and authoritative for a religious faith. It is most commonly used to denote the Christian Bible.

Usage

• The term is used as a formal or literary reference to the Bible or other foundational religious texts.
• It is often capitalized as when referring specifically to the Christian scriptures.
• It can be used metaphorically to describe any text or set of rules regarded as unquestionably authoritative.

Examples

• Noun:
  • Theologians have studied Holy Writ for centuries.
  • His interpretation of the holy writ differed from the church's official doctrine.
  • (Metaphorical) For many programmers, that manual is considered holy writ.

Advanced Usage

• "to treat something as holy writ": To regard a text, rule, or statement as absolutely authoritative and beyond criticism.
  • We should follow the guidelines, but we don't need to treat them as holy writ.

Variants and Related Words

• Scripture (n): The sacred writings of a religion. Often used interchangeably with "holy writ," but can also refer to the texts of non-Christian religions (e.g., Hindu scripture).
• The Bible (n): The specific Christian holy writ, comprising the Old and New Testaments.
• The Word (of God) (n): A common synonym for the Bible in Christian contexts.

Synonyms

• The Bible
• Scripture
• The Sacred Texts
• The Word (of God)
• Canon

Related Phrases

• Gospel truth: Something considered completely and unquestionably true (from the Gospels in the Christian Holy Writ).
  • He reported the news as if it were gospel truth.

Noun

1. the sacred writings of the Christian religions
   • he went to carry the Word to the heathen