revelation

American  

[rev-uh-ley-shuhn] / ˌrɛv əˈleɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of revealing or disclosing; disclosure.

   The revelation of previously hidden facts about the group’s activities changed the situation completely.

   Synonyms:

   exposure, divulgence, admission

2. something revealed or disclosed, especially a striking disclosure, such as of something not before realized.

   Her memoir contained several fascinating revelations about her love life.

3. 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.

4. Also called The Revelation of St. John the Divine.  Revelation. the last book in the New Testament; the Apocalypse. Rev.

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revelation ¹ British  

/ ˌrɛvəˈleɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of disclosing something previously secret or obscure, esp something true

2. a fact disclosed or revealed, esp in a dramatic or surprising way

3. 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

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Revelation ² British  

/ ˌrɛvəˈleɪʃən /

noun

1. 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

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Other Word Forms

• nonrevelation noun
• prerevelation noun
• revelational adjective
• unrevelational adjective

Etymology

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; reveal, -tion; apocalypse ( def. )

Example Sentences

He follows up that revelation by asking her to name her favorite song.

From Los Angeles Times

Without approving that appointment, any historical revelations about Lord Mandelson would have been unlikely to have risked political damage to the prime minister directly.

From BBC

Mandelson was removed as ambassador last year after earlier details of his dealings with Epstein came to light, and the latest revelations will add pressure on the politician.

From The Wall Street Journal

Multiple charities already dropped her over her Epstein links, so it's hard to see where she goes after these further damaging revelations.

From BBC

Lord Mandelson was sent to Washington by Sir Keir in December 2024 as the UK's ambassador, but was sacked the following September after further revelations emerged about his friendship with Epstein.

From BBC

Related Words

• announcement
• discovery
• epiphany
• leak
• news