epiphany

[ih-pif-uh-nee]

noun

plural

epiphanies 

1. (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.

2. an appearance or manifestation, especially of a deity.

3. 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.

4. a literary work or section of a work presenting, usually symbolically, such a moment of revelation and insight.

Epiphany

¹

/ ɪˈpɪfənɪ /

noun

1. 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

epiphany

²

/ ˌɛpɪˈfænɪk, ɪˈpɪfənɪ /

noun

1. the manifestation of a supernatural or divine reality

2. any moment of great or sudden revelation

Epiphany

1. 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.

Other Word Forms

• epiphanic adjective
• epiphanous adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of epiphany¹

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. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of epiphany¹

C17: via Church Latin from Greek epiphaneia an appearing, from _epi- + phainein to show

Example Sentences

"Then it was like this epiphany - this bolt from the blue - that I didn't have to," she said.

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In the hospital, he recalls having an epiphany.

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An “epiphany,” in case you have yet to have one, is when someone encounters truths about life with which they were previously unfamiliar, thus sparking an abrupt change of perspective.

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When she was 11, the local rock station played Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle,” and Harvey had an epiphany.

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In the fog of the first eighteen months of running his own business, Eisman had an epiphany, an identifiable moment when he realized he’d been missing something obvious.

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Related Words

• flash 
• insight 
• inspiration 
• realization 
• vision 

When To Use

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.