definitions

epiphany

[ ih-pif-uh-nee ]
/ ɪˈpɪf ə ni /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR epiphany ON THESAURUS.COM

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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RELATED WORDS

flash, vision, inspiration, oracle, realization, insight, sign, surprise, bombshell, discovery, shocker

Nearby words

epipen, epipetalous, epiph., epiphania, epiphanize, epiphany, epipharynx, epiphenomenalism, epiphenomenon, epiphloedal, epiphonema

Origin of epiphany

1275–1325; Middle English epiphanie < Late Latin epiphanīa < Late Greek epipháneia, Greek: apparition, equivalent to epi- epi- + phan- (stem of phaínein to appear) + -eia -y3

Related forms

ep·i·phan·ic [ep-uh-fan-ik] /ˌɛp əˈfæn ɪk/, e·piph·a·nous, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for epiphany

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

epiphanic (ˌɛpɪˈfænɪk), adjective

Word 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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Culture 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.