immolation

American  

[im-uh-ley-shuhn] / ˌɪm əˈleɪ ʃən /

noun

1. an act or instance of immolating.

2. the state of being immolated.

3. a sacrifice.

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Etymology

Origin of immolation

1525–35; < Latin immolātiōn- (stem of immolātiō ) offering, sacrifice. See immolate, -ion

Explanation

Immolation is what happens when something is killed or offered as a sacrifice. In some ancient societies immolation of animals was a common ritual used to gain favor with the gods. Immolation comes from the Latin word immolat-, meaning “sprinkled with sacrificial meal.” Immolation always involves a sacrifice or offering of some sort. The word often invokes burning, a common method of sacrifice. You might read about the immolation of a group who set themselves on fire to protest political oppression. You can also use it figuratively to describe anything that’s sacrificed, like the immolation of your Hollywood dreams for the good of the family farm.

Example Sentences

I can’t have been the only boy for whom Jessye Norman’s hair, when she sang Brünnhilde’s Immolation Scene with the orchestra on national television in 1995, was a turning point.

From New York Times • Jan. 28, 2022

The song "Away from God" by Immolation discusses salvation, heaven and hell in a way that could be seen as an extreme form of biblical lament.

From Salon • Nov. 26, 2021

In an intense final episode that anticipates Brünnhilde’s Immolation Scene, Armide calls upon demons to destroy her enchanted palace.

From New York Times • Feb. 12, 2012

One Sunday afternoon in 1939, just after her first recital in Manhattan's Town Hall, Traubel sang the Immolation Scene from G�terd�merung with the Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra of New York.

From Time Magazine Archive

When the music ceased a soprano sang the Immolation music and there was weeping heard in the body of the house.

From Melomaniacs by Huneker, James