epiphany

noun

epiph·​a·​ny i-ˈpi-fə-nē How to pronounce epiphany (audio)
plural epiphanies
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
3
a(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

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a difference between epiphany and revelation?

Epiphany and revelation have many similarities in meaning; one sense of epiphany is "a revealing scene or moment," and one sense of revelation is "something that is revealed." However, epiphany may also mean "an appearance or manifestation especially of a divine being," a sense not shared by revelation. Additionally, revelation is more likely to be used in the ecclesiastic sense of "an act of revealing or communicating divine truth."

What does epiphany mean in the Bible?

The earliest definition of epiphany refers to the religious observance on January 6: "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." When used this way it is usually capitalized.

Is there a difference between epiphany and eureka?

Eureka can function as an interjection or an adjective. An interjection is an ejaculatory utterance that usually lacks grammatical connection (someone who has just made a discovery may yell eureka), and an adjective modifies a noun (the person might describe this discovery as a eureka moment). While epiphany may cover some similar semantic terrain (particularly the sense meaning "an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure"), in terms of its function in a sentence, it is a noun.

Examples of epiphany in a Sentence

Invention has its own algorithm: genius, obsession, serendipity, and epiphany in some unknowable combination. Malcolm Gladwell, New Yorker, 12 May 2008
One day, a New York composer met an expert on Asian domesticated elephants, and together they reached some sort of freakish epiphany and decided to see if elephants could learn to play music. Jon Pareles, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2002
One epiphany came when a dozen engineers in northern New Mexico saw a lone, fading Xerox paper carton bobbing in a swamp of old motor oil at the bottom of a pit. Michelle Conlin, Business Week, 1 Nov. 1999
Seeing her father again when she was an adult was an epiphany that changed her whole view of her childhood.
Recent Examples on the Web When the forces of sexism land on Barbie, Robbie’s face crumbles beneath the weight of epiphany. Wesley Morris, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024 His origin story follows a familiar arc: Johnson enjoyed massive success in work, found that his soul was crushed as a consequence, and experienced a kind of epiphany in response. Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 22 Feb. 2024 In Lady Sings the Blues, an epiphany occurs in the lush domestic interior of a local brothel. Elizabeth Barber, Harper's Magazine, 2 Feb. 2024 Ritu David, the founder of The Data Duck, had an epiphany after returning to work post maternity leave: her obsession with A/B testing, quintessential for market dynamism, inadvertently magnified her company’s carbon footprint tenfold. William Mullane, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2024 However, in the absence of identifying the specific memory in question, the frustrating feeling of being on the edge of an epiphany can occur. Mark Travers, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 Alfonso reaches for symbolism, but his restless drama doesn’t earn its epiphany on the way out. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2024 Then a physics lecture on light refraction brought an epiphany — and a change of majors. Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 25 Jan. 2024 This thought was like a stoned epiphany from college, except I hadn’t been stoned in more than a decade. Leslie Jamison, The New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'epiphany.' 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 Epiphanie, borrowed from Anglo-French Epiphane, Epiphanie, borrowed from Late Latin epiphanīa, epiphania "appearance, manifestation, Christ's first manifestation (to the Gentiles in Western tradition)," borrowed from Late Greek epipháneia "appearance, manifestation (of God in the Old Testament, of Christ's first coming or of the Second Coming)," going back to Greek, "appearance, coming into view, manifestation (of a deity to a worshipper), Christ's coming (in the New Testament), visible surface, outward show, fame," noun derivative of epiphanḗs "coming into view, appearing, manifest, evident," adjective derivative from the stem of epiphaínein "to show, display," mediopassive epiphaínesthai "to come into view, be manifested, appear on the the service," from epi- epi- + phaínein "to bring to light, cause to appear," phaínesthai "to become visible, appear" — more at fantasy entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of epiphany was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near epiphany

Cite this Entry

“Epiphany.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epiphany. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

Epiphany

noun
Epiph·​a·​ny
i-ˈpif-ə-nē
: January 6 observed as a Christian festival in honor of the coming of the three kings to the infant Jesus or in the Eastern church in commemoration of Jesus' baptism

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