advent
noun
a coming into place, view, or being; arrival.
advent
American
[ad-vent]
/ ˈæd vɛnt /
noun
-
advents
plural
-
a coming into place, view, or being; arrival.
the advent of the holiday season.
- Synonyms:
- start, commencement, beginning, onset
-
Usually Advent the coming of Christ into the world.
-
Advent, the period beginning four Sundays before Christmas, observed in commemoration of the coming of Christ into the world.
-
Usually Advent Second Coming.
advent
1
British
/ ˈædvɛnt, -vənt /
noun
Advent
2
British
/ ˈædvɛnt, -vənt /
noun
Advent
Cultural
Usage
What is Advent season? Advent is the season before Christmas. In many branches of Christianity, Advent consists of the period starting four Sundays before Christmas. Among Christians, Advent is typically considered a season of preparation for the celebration of Christmas that also commemorates the coming of Jesus. The word Advent can also refer to the coming of Jesus into the world (it can also refer to what’s known as Jesus’s Second Coming). Religious rituals for Advent include the lighting of candles on an Advent wreath and the decoration of Jesse trees. Although Christmas is widely celebrated in both religious and secular (nonreligious) ways, Advent is primarily a religious observance. However, Advent calendars are a popular way of marking the days until Christmas even for those who do not celebrate it in religious ways. The similar season observed in anticipation of Easter is known as Lent.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of advent
First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English, from Latin adventus “arrival, approach,” equivalent to ad- “toward” + ven- (stem of venīre “to come”) + -tus suffix of verbal action; see ad-
Explanation
The advent of something means that it's finally here. You might be waiting for the advent of a new iPhone or for the advent of cloning. Don't hold your breath. Generally, the noun advent is used for the introduction of something important. The twentieth century saw the advent of many important inventions — including television, computers, and microwave dinners. If the word is capitalized, it has a religious meaning, referring to the period, observed in certain Christian religions, that begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas (December 25).
Vocabulary lists containing advent
Joy To The Word: Christmas Terms
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Ides, Eon, Epoch, and Era: Time-related Words
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Harlem Renaissance"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The advent of new AI video-generation technology is again a major topic of conversation at Venice as change sweeps through the industry.
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
The Sept. 11 attacks and the advent of social media fundamentally changed the shape of country music and what it meant to be a chart-topper.
From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026
Mansour was born in the village of Birzeit in British Mandate Palestine in 1947 – a year before the State of Israel was established, and the advent of the first Arab-Israeli war.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
The notion that motion pictures could make a record of real-world events was formalized with the advent of the newsreel, the creation of which is credited to the French studio Pathé in 1910.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Nurse Beverly generally did not think about what happened to the babies she tended past the advent of their first birthdays.
From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
In July, financial services platform Stripe and private equity firm Advent International made a takeover offer valued at more than $50 billion, but are said to have abandoned their pursuit, according to Bloomberg.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
Stripe and Advent International reportedly made a bid to take over the payments company for $60.50 per share, valuing the company at roughly $53 billion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
At the same time, Advent is actively seeking further regional opportunities, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
Advent International is seeking more healthcare opportunities in Australia and New Zealand after agreeing to acquire a clinical-research network.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
I only spent one night of Hanukkah with the Diamants, since usually I’d gone back to the farm for Advent and Christmas by then.
From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron
An Ebola vaccine that uses MVA as a “backbone” also has caused no serious advents in some 50,000 children.
From Science Magazine ● Nov. 21, 2024
Sabrina’s twice-a-year advents, like Nailed It’s and Queer Eye’s before it, suggest Netflix is rediscovering the wisdom of broadcast TV’s periodic dole outs.
From Slate ● Mar. 13, 2019
That’s probably why, along with the advents of Instagram and the gig economy, New Yorkers have taken to the modern breakfasts served at the city’s rapidly multiplying Australian cafes.
From New York Times ● Jul. 24, 2018
Due primarily to the simultaneous advents of the DIY Maker Movement and the development of affordable 3D printers, costs have come down by orders of magnitude, and functionality has exploded.
From Scientific American ● Mar. 6, 2014
Always so deliberate, hardly surprised by the most outlandish advents.
From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
