Dictionary.com

revelation

[ rev-uh-ley-shuhn ]
/ ˌrɛv əˈleɪ ʃən /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: revelation / revelations on Thesaurus.com
noun
the act of revealing or disclosing; disclosure.
something revealed or disclosed, especially a striking disclosure, as of something not before realized.
Theology.
  1. God's disclosure of Himself and His will to His creatures.
  2. an instance of such communication or disclosure.
  3. something thus communicated or disclosed.
  4. something that contains such disclosure, as the Bible.
Revelations. Also called The Revelation of St. John the Divine . the last book in the New Testament; the Apocalypse. Abbreviation: Rev.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.
His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of revelation

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English revelacion, revelacioun, from Anglo-French revelaciun, revelacioun, revelatiun, from Middle French revelacion, revelation, from Late Latin revēlātiōn- (stem of revēlātiō ), equivalent to Latin revēlā(tus) , past participle of revēlāre “to remove the cover from, unveil, lift the lid of, uncover” + -tiōn- verbal noun suffix dentoting the action of the verb; see also reveal,-tion;cf. apocalypse

OTHER WORDS FROM revelation

rev·e·la·tion·al, adjectivenon·rev·e·la·tion, nounpre·rev·e·la·tion, nounun·rev·e·la·tion·al, adjective

Words nearby revelation

revealing, revealment, revegetate, reveille, revel, revelation, Revelation, Book of, revelationist, revelator, revelatory, revelry
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to revelation

announcement, discovery, epiphany, leak, news, adumbration, apocalypse, betrayal, break, broadcasting, clue, communication, cue, display, divination, divulgement, earful, exhibition, exposé, exposition

How to use revelation in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for revelation (1 of 2)

revelation
/ (ˌrɛvəˈleɪʃən) /
noun
the act or process of disclosing something previously secret or obscure, esp something true
a fact disclosed or revealed, esp in a dramatic or surprising way
Christianity
  1. God's disclosure of his own nature and his purpose for mankind, esp through the words of human intermediaries
  2. something in which such a divine disclosure is contained, such as the Bible

Derived forms of revelation

revelational, adjective

Word Origin for revelation

C14: from Church Latin revēlātiō from Latin revēlāre to reveal

British Dictionary definitions for revelation (2 of 2)

Revelation
/ (ˌrɛvəˈleɪʃən) /
noun
Also called: the Apocalypse, the Revelation of Saint John the Divine (popularly, often plural) the last book of the New Testament, containing visionary descriptions of heaven, of conflicts between good and evil, and of the end of the world
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
FEEDBACK