(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.
the manifestation of a supernatural or divine reality
any moment of great or sudden revelation
What is the Feast of the Epiphany? The Feast of the Epiphany (often simply called Epiphany) is a Christian holiday. In the Western Church, it celebrates the revelation of Jesus as the Christ (the prophesied Messiah or Savior) to the Magi (popularly known as the three wise men) and to all Gentiles (non-Jews). In the Eastern Church, the Epiphany commemorates the baptism of Jesus and the revelation of his divinity. The Feast of the Epiphany is considered the twelfth and final day of the Christmas celebration. For this reason, it is sometimes called Twelfth Day. Many Christians observe the Epiphany as the end of the Christmas season and it is traditional to leave up Christmas decorations until this day. In some places, the Feast of the Epiphany is considered to mark the start of Carnival season—the period of feasting and merriment before Lent.
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English epiphanie, from Late Latin epiphanīa, from Late Greek epipháneia, from Greek: “apparition,” equivalent to epi- epi- ( def. ) + phan- (stem of phaínein “to appear”) + -eia -y 3 ( def. )
When inspiration hits you out of the blue, call it an epiphany. In the Christian tradition, Epiphany (ə-PIF-ə-nee) is a festival celebrating Christ's appearance to the Gentiles, observed every year on January 6. From the Christian sense we get an additional religious sense, "the appearance of a god or deity" and the more common modern usage, a noun meaning "a sudden revelation." There's nothing religious about most epiphanies these days — your "Eureka!" moment could come when you realize that you're in the wrong line of work and you need to quit your job to join the circus.
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Keys and Mulder said in their earlier study that reinsurance -- insurers themselves buying protection against risk -- has bumped up premiums as firms experienced a "climate epiphany."
From Barron's • May 11, 2026
Earlier this decade, Lutz said, he had an epiphany about how advanced Beijing has become when he bought a China-made Buick Envision crossover, which GM exported to the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026
Then I had an epiphany: Greek yogurt could once again be my savior and solution to my problems.
From Salon • Apr. 28, 2026
Sam has a similar if quieter epiphany, recognizing that his own humanity is one battle the future South Africa cannot afford him to lose.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
And then I had an epiphany: Maybe it’s not me who’s screwed up.
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
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.
