incarnation Hear it!

incarnation Definition

in·car·na·tion (in′kär nā′s̸hən)

noun

  1. endowment with a human body; appearance in human form
  2. any person or animal serving as the embodiment of a god or spirit
  3. any person or thing serving as the type or embodiment of a quality or concept the incarnation of courage

Etymology: ME incarnacion < OFr incarnatiun < LL(Ec) incarnatio < pp. of incarnari: see incarnate

incarnation Idioms

the Incarnation

Christian Theol. the taking on of a human body by the second person of the Trinity; the joining of the divine and the human in Jesus Christ

incarnation Synonyms

incarnation

n.

  1. Personification

    manifestation, embodiment, incorporation; see epitome 1.

  2. Matter

    substance, body, flesh-and-blood; see matter 1.

incarnation Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • evil: At the same time, I denounced Mr Livingstone as the living incarnation of evil.
  • band: Suffice to say, somehow, a substantially lesser incarnation of a band released their best album overall.
  • spirit: The last incarnation of the American cowboy spirit is revealed in Trucking USA 28.
  • character: He also provided the image of this incarnation of the character.
  • show: A year later a TV incarnation of the show arrived.
  • site: In March 2005 the latest incarnation of this high profile site was launched.

Converse of object

  • deny: At times she seemed inclined toward the position of docetism, a minority Gnostic position which denied the physical incarnation of Jesus altogether.
  • celebrate: In celebrating the Incarnation, we fix our gaze upon the mystery of the Trinity.
  • represent: All you have to know is that they represent the various incarnations of the East End villain.
  • become: But sadly, it would become the final incarnation of the globe - and the shortest-lived BBC1 ident since color began.
  • see: He also told me they would go and see the early incarnations of Dexys all the time.
  • live: At the same time, I denounced Mr Livingstone as the living incarnation of evil.

Adjective modifier

  • previous: Well, in a previous incarnation, some of us used to work in Shalford, near a pub called " The Parrot " .
  • earthly: A synopsis of The Ramayana is the story of the life of Lord Rama, an earthly incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu.
  • eighth: Top God: Krishna, the eighth incarnation of Vishnu.
  • successive: Past life regression therapy raises the important question of whether our spiritual evolution on earth is attained through successive incarnations.
  • late: The Palm III is the latest incarnation of the Palm Pilot.
  • divine: This heralds the very beginnings of the theory of the divine incarnation, or avatara, which we find elaborated upon in the Puranas.

Preposition: on

  • earth: He also explains the role of the Apocalyptic Beast in relation to the being of Ahriman and his incarnation on earth.

Noun used with modifier

  • screen: At 9.15 pm on 24 December A Study in Sherlock compares the various screen incarnations of Holmes.
incarnation Quotes

These are only hints and guesses, Hints followed by guesses; and the rest Is prayer, observance, discipline, thought and action. The hint half guessed, the gift half understood, is Incarnation.

—Eliot,T(homas) S(tearns)

And, by the incarnation of this verse, Scatter, as from an unextinguished hearth Ashes and sparks, my words among mankind! Be through my lips to unawakened earth The trumpet of a prophecy! O,Wind, If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?

—Shelley, Percy Bysshe

Shakespeareöthe nearest thing in incarnation to the eye of God.

—Olivier, Laurence Kerr, Baron