incarnation

American  

[in-kahr-ney-shuhn] / ˌɪn kɑrˈneɪ ʃən /

noun

1. an incarnate being or form.

2. a living being embodying a deity or spirit.

3. assumption of human form or nature.

4. (sometimes lowercase) the Incarnation, the doctrine that the second person of the Trinity assumed human form in the person of Jesus Christ and is completely both God and man.

5. a person or thing regarded as embodying or exhibiting some quality, idea, or the like.

   The leading dancer is the incarnation of grace.

6. the act of incarnating.

7. state of being incarnated.

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incarnation ¹ British  

/ ˌɪnkɑːˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of manifesting or state of being manifested in bodily form, esp human form

2. a bodily form assumed by a god, etc

3. a person or thing that typifies or represents some quality, idea, etc

   the weasel is the incarnation of ferocity

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Incarnation ² British  

/ ˌɪnkɑːˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. Christian theol the assuming of a human body by the Son of God

2. Christianity the presence of God on Earth in the person of Jesus

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Incarnation Cultural  

1. The Christian belief that the Son, the second person of the Trinity, was incarnated, or made flesh, in the person of Jesus, in order to save the world from original sin (see also original sin).

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Other Word Forms

• incarnational adjective
• postincarnation adjective

Etymology

Origin of incarnation

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English incarnacion, from Late Latin incarnātiōn-, stem of incarnātiō; equivalent to incarnate + -ion

Example Sentences

The new incarnation may create event space for art and fashion shows—and leave a lot less space for classic retail.

From The Wall Street Journal

The huge revelation was Will discovering he has supernatural powers... plus something unusual was afoot in a cave with Max, Holly and Vecna, in his earlier, creepy incarnation of Henry Creel.

From BBC

Critics say the links between Karachi’s gangsters and Islamist terrorists are overdrawn, that the real Karachi is far less glamorous than its Bollywood incarnation, and that one character’s Punjabi accent isn’t quite right.

From The Wall Street Journal

We get to hear a brief incarnation of the band with keyboards and the rotating bass player lineup, including several appearances by the great Kendra Smith before her departure.

From Salon

There’s a strong possibility — nay, probability — that a lot of you skipped the original incarnations of “Spartacus,” starting with the first season that bowed in 2010.

From Salon