Advent

noun

Ad·​vent ˈad-ˌvent How to pronounce Advent (audio)
 chiefly British  -vənt
1
: the period beginning four Sundays before Christmas and observed by some Christians as a season of prayer and fasting
2
a
: the coming of Christ at the Incarnation (see incarnation sense 3b(1))
3
not capitalized : a coming into being or use
the advent of spring
the advent of pasteurization
the advent of personal computers

Examples of Advent in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Karen Bak listened patiently to the Advent sermon, then held up her hands for the Lord’s Prayer. Ariel Zambelich, WSJ, 15 Jan. 2024 Sixty years ago our Catholic family celebrated Advent acidulously: no Christmas parties or treats. WSJ, 4 Jan. 2024 As the liturgical season of Advent comes to a close, here are three different ways people around the world celebrate the season — with food. Christine Rousselle, Fox News, 23 Dec. 2023 Lego Star Wars 2023 Advent Calendar Building Set Lego lovers rejoice — transport to a galaxy far, far away with this 320-piece out-of-this-world advent calendar. Ali Faccenda, Peoplemag, 5 Dec. 2023 Set of 3 Holiday Candles Diptyque Advent Calendar Snif’s holiday scented candles strike just the right balance of nostalgia-inducing and very on-trend. Carina Finn, Bon Appétit, 4 Dec. 2023 Merry Mixology Scratch-Off Advent Calendar One of the more unique advent calendars, this mixology box features a scratch-off that reveals a QR code to a cocktail video tutorial. Gabriela Izquierdo, Southern Living, 30 Nov. 2023 Countdown the days with a beauty Advent calendar filled to the brim with skin, hair, makeup, and fragrance treasures sure to put a smile on your face. Jenny Berg, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2023 Like Christmas Advent calendars, the best Halloween countdown calendars come in all shapes and sizes. Brigitt Earley, Glamour, 31 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Advent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Medieval Latin adventus, going back to Latin, "arrival, appearance," from adven-, variant stem of advenīre "to arrive" (from ad- ad- + venīre "to come," going back to Indo-European *gwem-i̯e-) + -tus, suffix of action nouns — more at come entry 1

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Advent was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near Advent

Cite this Entry

“Advent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Advent. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

advent

noun
ad·​vent
ˈad-ˌvent
1
capitalized : the season beginning four Sundays before Christmas
2
: the first appearance : arrival
the advent of spring
Etymology

Middle English advent "Christmas season," from Latin adventus (same meaning), from earlier adventus "arrival"

More from Merriam-Webster on Advent

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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