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• incarnation
  incarnation

  noun

  an incarnate being or form.
• Incarnation
  Incarnation

  noun

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

incarnation

American  

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

noun

• incarnations
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• incarnational
  adjective
• postincarnation
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• incarnations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of incarnation

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

Explanation

Incarnation is the embodiment of a god on earth. Or — when it comes to reincarnation: if you are a garbage collector in this life, you might get to be royalty in your next incarnation. Incarnation comes from the Latin incarnatus, which means “to make flesh.” The word incarnation came to life in religious contexts and is used when talking about gods and deities that take on human or animal forms. More generally, the word can be used to refer to anything or anyone taking on a "new life" — the new season of a sitcom could promise a new incarnation for one of its characters, or a former fashion trend could come back as a new incarnation.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

incarnation Incarnation incarnations

Trapped in this stiffer, earlier incarnation, the only acting Strong is able to do is poke his head straight up from his shoulders until he resembles a retractable pen.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026

It draws its beliefs from the teachings of Lord Swaminarayan, a late 18th-Century celibate ascetic who is regarded by his followers as an incarnation of Vishnu, the revered Hindu god of preservation.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

The “It’s Not Unusual” singer has been a member of the coaching panel on the British incarnation of “The Voice” since it launched in 2012, though he was previously benched for the show’s fifth season.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

Its current incarnation is a student in a big red bear costume performing at sporting games.

From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026

The new incarnation of me has to be perfect.

From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that Mary’s consent—“Let it be done.”—was a free, active and essential act of faith that allowed the Incarnation to occur.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026

Balagtas is the priest liaison for the Filipino Ministry of the Archdiocese and pastor of Incarnation Church in Glendale, which holds five Masses on Sundays.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2022

Like with other churches, launching such service programs has had the benefit of increasing volunteerism and attracting more donations, allowing Incarnation to undertake a $1 million roof restoration that’s nearly finished.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 29, 2022

In the Incarnation, God’s own self came to earth as a human.

From New York Times ● Dec. 21, 2019

I am, for example, a materialist largely because I was brought up to believe in the central mystery of the Church—the redemptive Incarnation.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez

Most of these programs did not have physical forms in their original MCU incarnations, but appear in human form within the world inside Vision’s mind.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026

When I went to work at the Bush White House, Jimmy was thrilled—for my daughters, whom he viewed as incarnations of the American dream.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

At M&S varieties now include red velvet, lemon curd, tiramisu, caramel fudge, chocolate, cheese and apple incarnations.

From BBC ● Mar. 27, 2026

It was the vaquero who developed the initial incarnations of the so-called Western saddle, with its distinctive “horn,” used both as a grip and for securing ropes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 23, 2026

Some girls and boys obliterate their rooms as they grow older, thinking they have to banish all their younger incarnations in order to convincingly inhabit a new one.

From "Every Day" by David Levithan