theophany

[ thee-of-uh-nee ]

/ θiˈɒf ə ni /

noun, plural the·oph·a·nies.

a manifestation or appearance of God or a god to a person.

Words nearby theophany

theomania, theomorphic, theonomy, theopathy, theophagy, theophany, theophilus, theophobia, theophrastus, theophylline, theophylline ethylenediamine

Origin of theophany

1625–35; < Late Latin theophania < Late Greek theopháneia. See theo-, -phany

OTHER WORDS FROM theophany

the·o·phan·ic

[thee-uh-fan-ik] /ˌθi əˈfæn ɪk/, the·oph·a·nous, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for theophany

They do not deny a theophany in the gift of Christianity; but they deny two very different things, viz.:—1.
Studies of Christianity|James Martineau
That this is theophany alone;—that is, they look for some divine elements elsewhere; and they look for some human here.
Studies of Christianity|James Martineau
In all these cases the angels, like the Mal'akh Yahweh, are connected with or represent a theophany.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Part 1, Slice 1|Various
Whatever that theophany had taught him, it had not yet fully removed his perplexity.
The Expositor's Bible: The First Book of Kings|F. W. Farrar

Why should a mere description of a theophany, which had nothing to do with the psalmist's theme, have been tacked on to it?
The Expositor's Bible: The Psalms, Vol. 2|Alexander Maclaren

British Dictionary definitions for theophany

theophany

/ (θɪˈɒfənɪ) /

noun plural -nies

theol a manifestation of a deity to man in a form that, though visible, is not necessarily material

Derived forms of theophany

theophanic (θɪəˈfænɪk) or theophanous, adjective

Word Origin for theophany

C17: from Late Latin theophania, from Late Greek theophaneia, from theo- + phainein to show

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