revelatory
Americanadjective
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of, relating to, or having the characteristics of revelation.
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showing or disclosing an emotion, belief, quality, or the like (usually followed byof ).
a poem revelatory of the author's deep, personal sorrow.
Etymology
Origin of revelatory
1880–85; < Latin revēlāt ( us ) ( see revelation) + -ory 1
Explanation
Anything revelatory reveals something you've never seen or realized before. A revelatory article in a tabloid paper might give you the scoop about a celebrity's (previously) private life. A revelatory artwork might show you something in a completely new light, like a giant art installation that incorporates the natural landscape around it, or a piece of music that stirs a deep feeling of nostalgia or sadness when you listen to it. People often describe religious experiences as revelatory, and early uses of revelation were also religious, meaning "disclosure of information from a divine source." The Latin root is revelare, "uncover or lay bare."
Vocabulary lists containing revelatory
This Week In Culture: September 5–11, 2020
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Zeitoun
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
To this familiar mix Mr. Mezrich adds a revelatory view of the postpandemic chess industry.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026
Many ufologists and UFO enthusiasts were keenly aware that, while they found the release "underwhelming," the tranche of information could likely be revelatory to the average reader.
From BBC • May 8, 2026
That halted expensive and potentially, for both sides, revelatory legal proceedings.
From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026
It’s connecting these integral components — something that’s more revelatory and more fun with something that’s more grave.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
But it was quite revelatory in the middle of the nineteenth century.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
