Definition of incarnation
1a (1) : the embodiment of a deity or spirit in some earthly form (2) capitalized : the union of divinity with humanity in Jesus Christb : a concrete or actual form of a quality or concept; especially : a person showing a trait or typical character to a marked degree she is the incarnation of goodness
2 : the act of incarnating : the state of being incarnate
3 : a particular physical form or state : version in another incarnation he might be a first vice-president — Walter Teller TV and movie incarnations of the story
From the M-W Editors
Examples of incarnation in a Sentence
the doctrine of the Incarnation
she is the very incarnation of grace and tactfulness
Recent Examples of incarnation from the Web
-
Decades later, so did the silicon chip, which led to its incarnation as Silicon Valley, now the world’s center for all things high-tech and, by the way,the model for an HBO comedy series.
-
While each of these comic book incarnations of the character share only a tenuous connection with the onscreen Doctor Poison, all but the first offer an intriguing hint at a potential plot point for a second Wonder Woman movie.
-
When Iron Man is a teenage girl But the comic books themselves have gone further than their onscreen incarnations.
-
Its modern incarnation began in 1912, when a streetcar line established it as a suburb of Seattle.
-
For its sixth annual incarnation, Vintage Charlotte Summer Market moves to the historic Ford building at the new Camp North End.
-
Castro may owe his position to his previous incarnation as a fan favorite for the Chicago Cubs, whose players dominated the early voting.
-
The original incarnation was mostly a cover band that had concocted a Spinal Tap-esque back story and saw Jericho adopt the front man persona of Mongoose McQueen.
-
Just last week, Microsoft released Windows NT 4.0 Terminal Server Edition, an NC-like incarnation of Windows NT.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'incarnation'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
14th Century
First Known Use of incarnation
14th century
Other Religion (Eastern and Other) Terms
Zen, antinomian, avatar, gnosticism, illuminati, ineffable, karma, koan, mantra
INCARNATION Defined for English Language Learners
incarnation
playDefinition of incarnation for English Language Learners
-
: one of a series of lives that a person is believed to have had in the past in some religions
-
: a person who represents a quality or idea
-
the Incarnation in the Christian religion : the belief in Jesus Christ as both God and a human being
Learn More about incarnation
-
See words that rhyme with incarnation Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for incarnation Spanish Central: Translation of incarnation Nglish: Translation of incarnation for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of incarnation for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about incarnation
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up incarnation? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!