epiphany
noun
a Christian festival, observed on January 6, commemorating the manifestation of Christ to the gentiles in the persons of the Magi; Twelfth-day.
epiphany
American
[ih-pif-uh-nee]
/ ɪˈpɪf ə ni /
noun
-
epiphanies
plural
-
(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.
Epiphany
1
British
/ ɪˈpɪfənɪ /
noun
epiphany
2
British
/ ˌɛpɪˈfænɪk, ɪˈpɪfənɪ /
noun
-
the manifestation of a supernatural or divine reality
-
any moment of great or sudden revelation
Epiphany
Cultural
Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of epiphany
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. )
Explanation
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.
Vocabulary lists containing epiphany
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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:
"I had an epiphany when I met you and started working with you," Madonna wrote in her post, alongside a video of herself standing beside Orbit to accept a Grammy Award.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
He didn’t elaborate further, and my own attempt to interview Johnson over this epiphany fell through.
From Slate ● Jul. 31, 2026
It might be the most American thing ever that we needed to experience the epiphany twice — with equal doses of tragedy and farce on both occasions — before we began to grasp its message.
From Salon ● Jun. 21, 2026
There’s a great train-track crossing sequence that’s also a vicious callback to Richard Dreyfuss’ epiphany in “Close Encounters.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
That's when I had an epiphany: when my mom and aunts praised me for being hairless...they meant by Persian woman standards.
From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi
Pope Leo XIV celebrates a mass on the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord in St Peter's Basilica, after closing the Holy Door, marking the end of the Jubilee year.
From Barron's ● Jan. 6, 2026
Appeared in the November 19, 2025, print edition as 'A Progressive ‘News Distortion’ Epiphany'.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 18, 2025
In Los Angeles, for example, Church of the Epiphany in Lincoln Heights is listed for its importance to the Chicano civil rights movement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2025
The rescuers believe they reached the vessel soon after the baby was born on the day Spain celebrated the Epiphany, a Christian holiday where children traditionally receive gifts.
From BBC ● Jan. 8, 2025
"Oh," she said, "then we're still safe, Dr. Rohmer. You can tell the taxpayers that the Epiphany Middle School team has one Jew, one half-Jew, a WASP, and an Indian."
From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg
Either way, know that nothing in this hour expands beyond territory he hasn’t covered – including, and namely, any epiphanies about responsibility.
From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026
Her compositions are more propulsive and melodic, capturing the romance of youth and tiny epiphanies of life lived raw and in the moment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2025
“We grow, have epiphanies, become better, understand our flaws”—a notion that expresses the sense of hopefulness reflected in Ms. King’s novels.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2025
As the escalating pressure mounts, he has a cathartic meltdown and several epiphanies that are fun to watch.
From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2024
And in all that time, no one has ever asked a "random question" about "epiphanies" for "no reason."
From "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" by John Green and David Levithan
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.
