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Epiphany definition

Epiph·any (ē pif′ə nē, i-)

noun pl. Epiphanies -·nies

  1. an appearance or manifestation of a god or other supernatural being
  2. in many Christian churches, a yearly festival, held January 6, commemorating both the revealing of Jesus as the Christ to the Gentiles in the persons of the Magi and the baptism of Jesus
    also called Twelfth Day
    1. a moment of sudden intuitive understanding; flash of insight
    2. a scene, experience, etc. that occasions such a moment

Etymology: ME & OFr epiphanie < LL(Ec) epiphania < Gr(Ec) epiphaneia, appearance < epiphainein, to show forth, manifest < epi-, upon + phainein, to show: see fantasy

Related Forms:

  • epiphanic ep′i·phan′ic (ep′ə fan′ik) adjective

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Epiphany Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • life: Doisneau's gift was the ability to seek out and capture, with humanity and grace, those little epiphanies of everyday Parisian life.

Converse of object

  • record: In addition Joyce records some dream epiphanies, which are purely imaginary.

Adjective modifier

  • little: Doisneau's gift was the ability to seek out and capture, with humanity and grace, those little epiphanies of everyday Parisian life.
  • personal: Like all great records, the seeds of BAPTISM came from personal epiphany.

Modifies a noun

  • ball: What do you think about perhaps having a separate ceremony than the epiphany ball for colors?
Epiphany usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

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MLA Style

"Epiphany." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/epiphany>

APA Style

Epiphany. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/epiphany

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