kenosis

noun

ke·​no·​sis kə-ˈnō-səs 

kē-

: the relinquishment of divine attributes by Jesus Christ in becoming human

kenotic

kə-ˈnä-tik 

kē-

adjective

Examples of kenosis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Benjamin Reinhard, 14, won by correctly spelling the word kenosis, which refers to the act of a Christian person voluntarily giving up their personal rights and ambitions and accepting suffering, according to the spelling bee’s definition. —Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2026

Can Amor’s loving, self-sacrificial kenosis offer a feasible political model? —James Wood, The New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2021

Word History

Etymology

Late Greek kenōsis, from Greek, action of emptying, from kenoun to purge, empty, from kenos empty

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for kenosis

• cirrhosis
• fibrosis
• gliosis
• hypnosis
• ichthyosis
• ketosis
• kurtosis
• lordosis
• meiosis
• miosis
• mitosis
• mycosis