epiphany

American  

[ih-pif-uh-nee] / ɪˈpɪf ə ni /

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.

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epiphany ¹ British  

/ ˌɛpɪˈfænɪk, ɪˈpɪfənɪ /

noun

1. the manifestation of a supernatural or divine reality

2. any moment of great or sudden revelation

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Epiphany ² British  

/ 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

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Epiphany Cultural  

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.

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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

• epiphanic adjective
• epiphanous adjective

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.

Example Sentences

He donned his first tuxedo, which he inherited from his grandmother’s costume trunk, at 12 , then had a musical epiphany by 13 when he listened to Mahler.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

The author, over 60, found renewed enjoyment in golf by moving to forward tees and focusing less on scoring, after an epiphany at Omni PGA Frisco’s Fields Ranch East.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

Shortly into the review, the team members had their epiphany.

From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026

The look of uncomfortable epiphany was powerful and deeply moving.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

But this epiphany occurred only after the intervention of time and misfortune, when my father’s self-satisfied existence had begun to crumble beneath him.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer

Related Words

• flash
• insight
• inspiration
• realization
• vision