revelation

noun

rev·​e·​la·​tion ˌre-və-ˈlā-shən 

1

a

: an act of revealing or communicating divine truth

b

: something that is revealed by God to humans

2

a

: an act of revealing to view or making known

Revelations by the news outlet caused a scandal.

b

: something that is revealed

especially : an enlightening or astonishing disclosure

shocking revelations

c

: a pleasant often enlightening surprise

her talent was a revelation

3

Revelation : an apocalyptic writing addressed to early Christians of Asia Minor and included as a book in the New Testament

called also Apocalypse

see Bible Table

Synonyms of revelation

• disclosure

Examples of revelation in a Sentence

The book includes many shocking revelations about the mayor's personal life.

The revelation that she was a drug user was not a surprise to me.

Revelations by the newspaper caused a scandal.

Recent Examples on the Web

Brown and her crew spent an additional six months documenting the aftermath of this revelation, including new interviews with the families of the victims as well as a sit-down with Brashers’ daughter and one of the men who had, for years, been wrongfully accused of the crime. —Katie Campione, Deadline, 6 June 2026

But concerns continued to mount, especially following the 2009 revelation of Iran's Fordow nuclear enrichment facility, which was initially kept secret from the International Atomic Energy Agency. —Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 6 June 2026

This week’s quiz spotlights hard launches and Hollywood revelations. —Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 6 June 2026

Shaped by the anticlerical violence of the country’s 1936-1939 civil war, the church has dealt more recently with a credibility crisis over revelations of decades of clergy abuse and cover-up. —ABC News, 6 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English revelacioun, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin revelation-, revelatio, from Latin revelare to reveal

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing revelation

• come as a revelation
• self-revelation

Rhymes for revelation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

revelation

1 of 2 noun

rev·​e·​la·​tion ˌrev-ə-ˈlā-shən 

1

: an act of revealing or making known divine truth

2

a

: an act of revealing to view

b

: something that is revealed

especially : a surprising or astonishing disclosure

Revelation

2 of 2 noun

Rev·​e·​la·​tion

ˌrev-ə-ˈlā-shən

: a writing dealing with the end of the world addressed to early Christians of Asia Minor and included as a book in the New Testament see bible