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• incarnation
  incarnation

  noun

  an incarnate being or form.
• Incarnation
  Incarnation

  noun

  Christian theol the assuming of a human body by the Son of God

incarnation

American  

[in-kahr-ney-shuhn] / ˌɪn kɑrˈneɪ ʃən /

noun

1. an incarnate being or form.

2. a living being embodying a deity or spirit.

3. assumption of human form or nature.

4. (sometimes lowercase) the Incarnation, the doctrine that the second person of the Trinity assumed human form in the person of Jesus Christ and is completely both God and man.

5. a person or thing regarded as embodying or exhibiting some quality, idea, or the like.

   The leading dancer is the incarnation of grace.

6. the act of incarnating.

7. state of being incarnated.

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incarnation ¹ British  

/ ˌɪnkɑːˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of manifesting or state of being manifested in bodily form, esp human form

2. a bodily form assumed by a god, etc

3. a person or thing that typifies or represents some quality, idea, etc

   the weasel is the incarnation of ferocity

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Incarnation ² British  

/ ˌɪnkɑːˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. Christian theol the assuming of a human body by the Son of God

2. Christianity the presence of God on Earth in the person of Jesus

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Incarnation Cultural  

1. The Christian belief that the Son, the second person of the Trinity, was incarnated, or made flesh, in the person of Jesus, in order to save the world from original sin (see also original sin).

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Other Word Forms

• incarnational
  adjective
• postincarnation
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of incarnation

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English incarnacion, from Late Latin incarnātiōn-, stem of incarnātiō; equivalent to incarnate + -ion

Explanation

Incarnation is the embodiment of a god on earth. Or — when it comes to reincarnation: if you are a garbage collector in this life, you might get to be royalty in your next incarnation. Incarnation comes from the Latin incarnatus, which means “to make flesh.” The word incarnation came to life in religious contexts and is used when talking about gods and deities that take on human or animal forms. More generally, the word can be used to refer to anything or anyone taking on a "new life" — the new season of a sitcom could promise a new incarnation for one of its characters, or a former fashion trend could come back as a new incarnation.

Example Sentences

The latest incarnation of this belief system arrives in the form of Objection AI, a project that presents itself as a kind of “truth tribunal” for journalism.

From Salon • Apr. 23, 2026

The lead female character has often been played by a British actress - Felicity Kendal took on the role for the show's last West End incarnation in 2015.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

Lawrence, who serves as executive producer on the new incarnation, can also see a parallel between his path and that of his fictional creations.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2026

The most recent high-profile incarnation of the character, played by David Corenswet in James Gunn’s 2025 blockbuster “Superman,” aims for a happy medium, reframing Kal-El’s desire to do good as “punk.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 7, 2026

Humason and Hubble, it gradually became clear, had discovered the Big Bang—if not the origin of the universe then at least its most recent incarnation.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan