apostolorum

Apostolorum is the Latin genitive plural form of apostolus, meaning “of the apostles.” The term appears mainly in ecclesiastical Latin, where it is used in dedications and titles to associate a church, chapel, or sacred object with the Apostles. In Latin inscriptions and medieval manuscripts, Apostolorum often occurs as part of a longer expression such as Ecclesia Sanctorum Apostolorum (“Church of the Holy Apostles”) or Sancti Apostolorum as a name for a locality or church.

Because Apostolorum is a genitive form, it does not stand alone as a name; its meaning is determined by the surrounding noun. For example, Ecclesia Apostolorum clarifies that the church is dedicated to or named after the Apostles. The usage reflects a broader practice in Christian Latin to dedicate places to groups of holy figures by linking them in the genitive.

In modern reference works, Apostolorum is encountered in discussions of Latin epigraphy, liturgical language, and the historical naming of churches and monasteries across Europe and the Mediterranean. When encountered in older texts, it usually signals a dedication rather than a standalone entity. The phrase illustrates how Latin place-naming commonly used possessive or descriptive forms to indicate affiliation with revered figures.