epiphany

noun

epiph·a·ny | \i-ˈpi-fə-nē

\

plural epiphanies

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

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

The 29-year-old researcher said his work was sparked by an epiphany in his life a few years ago. — Author: William Wan, Anchorage Daily News, "Rebel developers are trying to cure our smartphone addiction – with an app," 18 June 2018 Sometimes, at the very least, epiphanies are cheap. — Laura Jean Baker, chicagotribune.com, "When a 'natural' mother considers plastic surgery," 29 Apr. 2018 The 29-year-old researcher said his work was sparked by an epiphany in his life a few years ago. — Author: William Wan, Anchorage Daily News, "Rebel developers are trying to cure our smartphone addiction – with an app," 18 June 2018 Breaks in the line can signify mental strife, or more optimistically, monumental breakthroughs or epiphanies. — Aliza Kelly Faragher, Allure, "A Beginner's Guide to Reading Palms," 4 June 2018 Like a modern-day Prometheus, Maslow stole epiphany from the gods and gave it to mortals. — David G. Allan, CNN, "Peak experiences, perfect moments and the extra-ordinary," 3 May 2018 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

These 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.

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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

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