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• visitation
  visitation

  noun

  the act of visiting.
• Visitation
  Visitation

  noun

visitation

American  

[viz-i-tey-shuhn] / ˌvɪz ɪˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of visiting.

2. a formal visit, as one permitted by a court's granting of visitation rights or by parents invited to a school to observe the work of students.

3. a visit for the purpose of making an official examination or inspection, as of a bishop to a diocese.

4. (usually initial capital letter) the visit of the Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth. Luke 1:36–56.

5. (initial capital letter) a church festival, held on July 2, in commemoration of this visit.

6. the administration of comfort or aid, or of affliction or punishment.

   a visitation of the plague.

7. an affliction or punishment, as from God.

8. the appearance or coming of a supernatural influence or spirit.

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visitation ¹ British  

/ ˌvɪzɪˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. an official call or visit for the purpose of inspecting or examining an institution, esp such a visit made by a bishop to his diocese

2. a visiting of punishment or reward from heaven

3. any disaster or catastrophe

   a visitation of the plague

4. an appearance or arrival of a supernatural being

5. any call or visit

6. informal an unduly prolonged social call

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Visitation ² British  

/ ˌvɪzɪˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. 1. the visit made by the Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth (Luke 1:39–56)

   2. the Church festival commemorating this, held on July 2

2. a religious order of nuns, the Order of the Visitation, founded in 1610 by St Francis of Sales and dedicated to contemplation and the cultivation of humility, gentleness, and sisterly love

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Other Word Forms

• intervisitation
  noun
• revisitation
  noun
• visitational
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of visitation

1275–1325; < Latin vīsitātiōn- (stem of vīsitātiō ), equivalent to vīsitāt ( us ) (past participle of vīsitāre; see visit, -ate ¹) + -iōn- -ion; replacing Middle English visitacioun < Anglo-French < Latin, as above

Explanation

Use the noun visitation to describe a formal or official visit, like the city health inspector's yearly visitation to your favorite pizza place. A visitation often includes some kind of evaluation or inspection, or has some other formal aspect. Meeting with a prisoner might be described as a visitation, and the official scheduled time that divorced parents have with their children are also a kind of visitation. Another meaning of the word is "calamity," or "disaster," especially one of Biblical, plague-like proportions: "The town faced a visitation of unbearably hot temperatures for three weeks."

Example Sentences

Tradition holds that the poem was composed by Caedmon, a cowherd from Whitby in present day North Yorkshire, after a divine visitation inspired him to sing.

From Science Daily • May 17, 2026

"He benefits from an exceptional visitation regime, which allows for frequent contact with his friends and family, including the possibility of family members to be present with him during his final moments," the ruling said.

From BBC • May 14, 2026

The department said it will evaluate the day use reservation system at the end of the summer and make adjustments if necessary for future peak visitation periods.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026

The largest impact was seen in the Rockies, where visitation declined 25%, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

By now, she has almost dispelled the effect of her father’s visitation yesterday.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García