epiphany
noun
\
Definition of epiphany
1 capitalized : January 6 observed as a church festival in commemoration of the coming of the Magi as the first manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles or in the Eastern Church in commemoration of the baptism of Christ
2 : an appearance or manifestation especially of a divine being
3a(1) : a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something
(2) : an intuitive grasp of reality through something (such as an event) usually simple and striking
(3) : an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure
b : a revealing scene or moment
Examples of epiphany in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The 29-year-old researcher said his work was sparked by an epiphany in his life a few years ago. — William Wan, Houston Chronicle, "Rebel developers are trying to cure our smartphone addiction - with an app," 17 June 2018 Eli’s Bees is making raw honey that’s a sweet epiphanyAfter a recent dinner at Saddlerock Gardens in Malibu, guests were invited to linger. — Josh Lurie, Los Angeles Magazine, "Honey Made by Bees in Different Parts of L.A. All Tastes Wonderfully Different," 25 June 2018 By his own admission, Bourdain was a snot of a kid who wasted, in more than one sense of the word, two years at Vassar College before an epiphany led him to a life in the kitchen and an education at the Culinary Institute of America. — Michael Klein, Philly.com, "Anthony Bourdain: He didn't set out to be a celebrity," 8 June 2018 Which brings me to that farmers market eggplant or my epiphany about freshness and quality. — Evan Kleiman, latimes.com, "Cucina Italiana: The joy of eggplant. Try making a timbale," 5 July 2018 Similarly, her mini epiphanies, on the rock and in life, resonated with me. — Jayme Moye, Outside Online, "A Climbing Memoir with More Agony Than Ecstasy," 8 May 2018 After her orchestra pit epiphany, her mother, Annette Swartz, enrolled her in Suzuki violin classes. — OregonLive.com, "This Beaverton teen doesn't just play in an orchestra - she also composes for it," 25 Feb. 2018 My final culinary epiphany occurred on my last night, at Licorería Limantour, Mexico City's foremost cocktail bar. — Mary Kaye Schilling, Town & Country, "Discovering the Culture of Mexico City," 18 Oct. 2016 My musical epiphany as a kid was hearing (Benny Goodman’s) 1938 Carnegie Hall concert album with Gene Krupa. — Michael James Rocha, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Top weekend events: San Diego History Center's LGBTQ+ exhibit, Kevin Hart, Bayside Summer Nights," 6 July 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'epiphany.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Learn More about epiphany
From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
The Good, The Bad, & The...
The Good, The Bad, & The Semantically Imprecise - 8/10/2018
The words that defined the week of August 10th, 2018
Trending: Epiphany
Trending: Epiphany
January 6th is the Feast of the Epiphany
Ten More Ways to Improve a Conversation
Ten More Ways to Improve a Conversation
Simple But Intelligent Word Choices, Vol. 2
Dictionary Entries near epiphany
Statistics for epiphany
Last Updated
29 Aug 2018
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for epiphany
The first known use of epiphany was in the 14th century
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for epiphany
epiphany
noun
English Language Learners Definition of epiphany
Epiphany : a Christian festival held on January 6 in honor of the coming of the three kings to the infant Jesus Christ
: a moment in which you suddenly see or understand something in a new or very clear way
See the full definition for epiphany in the English Language Learners Dictionary
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on epiphany
What made you want to look up epiphany? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Name that Food Quiz
-
- Name these cookies!
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Share epiphany
Resources for epiphany