incarnate

1 of 2

adjective

in·​car·​nate in-ˈkär-nət  -ˌnāt 

1

a

: invested with bodily and especially human nature and form

b

: made manifest or comprehensible : embodied

a fiend incarnate

2

: incarnadine

incarnate clover

incarnate

2 of 2

verb

in·​car·​nate in-ˈkär-ˌnāt 

ˈin-ˌkär-

incarnated; incarnating

transitive verb

: to make incarnate: such as

a

: to give bodily form and substance to

incarnates the devil as a serpent

b(1)

: to give a concrete or actual form to : actualize

(2)

: to constitute an embodiment or type of

no one culture incarnates every important human value

—Denis Goulet

Frequently Asked Questions

What does carnate mean?

Carnate is synonymous with incarnate, which in simplest terms typically means "having a human body." The word was formed by shortening (removing the prefix of in- from incarnate).

What does incarnate mean in the Bible?

Incarnate means "invested with flesh or bodily nature and form, especially with human nature and form," and is applicable in many different religions in which a god takes on an animal or a human form. In Christianity the word Incarnation (which is usually capitalized) is used in the sense "the union of divinity with humanity in Jesus Christ."

What does 'evil incarnate' mean?

The sense of incarnate at work in the phrase evil incarnate is "made manifest or comprehensible." To describe someone or something as "evil incarnate" is to say that the person or thing is the embodiment of evil.

Synonyms

Verb

• embody
• express
• body
• manifest
• incorporate

Examples of incarnate in a Sentence

Verb

the general view that Hitler incarnated extreme egotism and indeed evil itself

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The Bauhaus Building, designed by Gropius in 1925, is steel and glass incarnate. —Daniel Scheffler, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025

If Stone is rage incarnate, RZA, as Hutch’s samurai-sword-wielding brother, is pure Zen suavity. —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 13 Aug. 2025

Verb

With respect to gender roles, for instance, the aggressive zombies incarnate a warped and rotted form of traditional masculinity, a perversion of the warrior ideal. —Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2025

Mujica Lainez was thus free to imagine a literary Duke of Bomarzo, incarnating the contradictions of his period. —Literary Hub, 8 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English incarnat, from Late Latin incarnatus, past participle of incarnare to incarnate, from Latin in- + carn-, caro flesh — more at carnal

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1533, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for incarnate

• carnet
• garnet

Kids Definition

incarnate

1 of 2 adjective

in·​car·​nate in-ˈkär-nət 

-ˌnāt

: given bodily or actual form

the devil incarnate

a little tornado incarnate

incarnate

2 of 2 verb

in·​car·​nate in-ˈkär-ˌnāt 

ˈin-ˌkär-ˌnāt

incarnated; incarnating

: to give bodily or actual form to