epiphany
[ ih-pif-uh-nee ]
/ ɪˈpɪf ə ni /
noun, plural e·piph·a·nies.
(initial capital letter)
a Christian festival, observed on January 6, commemorating the manifestation of Christ to the gentiles in the persons of the Magi; Twelfth-day.
an appearance or manifestation, especially of a deity.
a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.
a literary work or section of a work presenting, usually symbolically, such a moment of revelation and insight.
Origin of epiphany
OTHER WORDS FROM epiphany
ep·i·phan·ic [ep-uh-fan-ik] /ˌɛp əˈfæn ɪk/, e·piph·a·nous, adjectiveWords nearby epiphany
epipen,
epipetalous,
epiph.,
epiphania,
epiphanize,
epiphany,
epipharynx,
epiphenomenalism,
epiphenomenon,
epiphloedal,
epiphonema
Example sentences from the Web for epiphany
British Dictionary definitions for epiphany (1 of 2)
epiphany
/ (ɪˈpɪfənɪ) /
noun plural -nies
the manifestation of a supernatural or divine reality
any moment of great or sudden revelation
Derived forms of epiphany
epiphanic (ˌɛpɪˈfænɪk), adjectiveWord Origin for epiphany
C17: via Church Latin from Greek
epiphaneia an appearing, from
epi- +
phainein to show
British Dictionary definitions for epiphany (2 of 2)
Epiphany
/ (ɪˈpɪfənɪ) /
noun plural -nies
a Christian festival held on Jan 6, commemorating, in the Western Church, the manifestation of Christ to the Magi and, in the Eastern Church, the baptism of Christ
Cultural definitions for epiphany
Epiphany
[ (i-pif-uh-nee) ]
A festival in Christianity celebrating the visit of the Wise Men to the infant Jesus. Epiphany means “a showing forth” — in this case a showing forth of Jesus to the Gentiles.