epiphany
[ ih-pif-uh-nee ]
/ ɪˈpɪf ə ni /
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noun, plural e·piph·a·nies.
(initial capital letter) a Christian festival, observed on January 6, commemorating the manifestation of Christ to the gentiles in the persons of the Magi; Twelfth-day.
an appearance or manifestation, especially of a deity.
a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.
a literary work or section of a work presenting, usually symbolically, such a moment of revelation and insight.
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Origin of epiphany
OTHER WORDS FROM epiphany
ep·i·phan·ic [ep-uh-fan-ik], /ˌɛp əˈfæn ɪk/, e·piph·a·nous, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use epiphany in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for epiphany (1 of 2)
epiphany
/ (ɪˈpɪfənɪ) /
noun plural -nies
the manifestation of a supernatural or divine reality
any moment of great or sudden revelation
Derived forms of epiphany
epiphanic (ˌɛpɪˈfænɪk), adjectiveWord Origin for epiphany
C17: via Church Latin from Greek epiphaneia an appearing, from epi- + phainein to show
British Dictionary definitions for epiphany (2 of 2)
Epiphany
/ (ɪˈpɪfənɪ) /
noun plural -nies
a Christian festival held on Jan 6, commemorating, in the Western Church, the manifestation of Christ to the Magi and, in the Eastern Church, the baptism of Christ
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Cultural definitions for epiphany
Epiphany
[ (i-pif-uh-nee) ]
A festival in Christianity celebrating the visit of the Wise Men to the infant Jesus. Epiphany means “a showing forth” — in this case a showing forth of Jesus to the Gentiles.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.