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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

incarnations plural

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

Derived Forms

• incarnational
  adjective
• postincarnation
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• incarnations
  plural

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

See Examples For:

incarnation Incarnation incarnations

Of course, there is a twist here in this particular incarnation of our unending conversation.

From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026

It was to follow on from the series finale in May 2025, in which Ncuti Gatwa's incarnation of the Doctor regenerated into Billie Piper, who previously played the Doctor's assistant, Rose.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

He can’t decide whether she is naive or sophisticated, an earthbound Midwestern girl or the incarnation of the eternal feminine.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026

This latest incarnation is in keeping with the building’s long history in the community.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 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

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that Mary’s consent—“Let it be done.”—was a free, active and essential act of faith that allowed the Incarnation to occur.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026

Balagtas is the priest liaison for the Filipino Ministry of the Archdiocese and pastor of Incarnation Church in Glendale, which holds five Masses on Sundays.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2022

At the service at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Nashville on Sunday morning with her husband and 5-month-old daughter, Katie Fullan said she supported the court’s decision.

From New York Times ● Jun. 26, 2022

Like with other churches, launching such service programs has had the benefit of increasing volunteerism and attracting more donations, allowing Incarnation to undertake a $1 million roof restoration that’s nearly finished.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 29, 2022

I am, for example, a materialist largely because I was brought up to believe in the central mystery of the Church—the redemptive Incarnation.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez

He left the group in 1979, and the Rubettes continued to perform and record in various incarnations.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

At M&S varieties now include red velvet, lemon curd, tiramisu, caramel fudge, chocolate, cheese and apple incarnations.

From BBC ● Mar. 27, 2026

The authors have structured the work as a triple helix, and some of the most powerful moments occur when all three incarnations of the characters are on stage at the same time.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 9, 2026

There’s a strong possibility — nay, probability — that a lot of you skipped the original incarnations of “Spartacus,” starting with the first season that bowed in 2010.

From Salon ● Dec. 7, 2025

You know that Abrahamic religions are monotheistic and center on differing incarnations of Abraham.

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon