epiphany

noun

epiph·​a·​ny i-ˈpi-fə-nē 

plural epiphanies

1

Epiphany : a Christian festival held on January 6 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

the epiphany of God in Christ

3

a(1)

: a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something

… the experience is an epiphany whereby the true essence of cooking is revealed.

—John Mariani

(2)

: an intuitive grasp of reality through something (such as an event) usually simple and striking

… a food writer who has traveled around the world in an endless quest for epiphanies of flavor …

—Jeff Gordinier

(3)

: an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure

When a child moves from recognizing letters to decoding and comprehension, a moment of epiphany takes place and children become empowered through their knowledge.

—Jean Brune

b

: a revealing scene or moment

The novel's epiphany … does not yield an image of the individual self in communion with the world but a monstrous vision of that world in flames …

—Brigid Rooney

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

Watching Mangiku onstage is an epiphany for Kikuo, marking the end of the first section of the drama, which then jumps to 1972. —Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2025

Expect a mix of financial epiphanies and random purchases — a tarot deck here, a pair of platform boots there. —Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 26 Oct. 2025

Like runner’s high, or epiphany in prayer, the goonstate is not the point of the practice, but rather its occasional and unbidden reward. —Daniel Kolitz, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025

So when Luise was frustrated by her experiments with canvas one afternoon at MacDowell and threw her scraps into her studio’s fireplace, Morton was there to witness the epiphany that followed. —Grace Edquist, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2025

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 surface," 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

Rhymes for epiphany

• polyphony

Kids Definition

epiphany

noun

epiph·​a·​ny i-ˈpif-ə-nē 

1

capitalized : 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

2

: a sudden striking understanding of something