Try Our Apps
Dictionary.com

follow Dictionary.com

Empathy vs. Sympathy

revelation

[rev-uh-ley-shuh n] /ˌrɛv əˈleɪ ʃən/
noun
1.
the act of revealing or disclosing; disclosure.
2.
something revealed or disclosed, especially a striking disclosure, as of something not before realized.
3.
Theology.
  1. God's disclosure of Himself and His will to His creatures.
  2. an instance of such communication or disclosure.
  3. something thus communicated or disclosed.
  4. something that contains such disclosure, as the Bible.
4.
(initial capital letter). Also called Revelations, The Revelation of St. John the Divine. the last book in the New Testament; the Apocalypse.
Abbreviation: Rev.
Origin of revelation
1275-1325
1275-1325; Middle English revelacion (< Old French) < Late Latin revēlātiōn- (stem of revēlātiō), equivalent to Latin revēlāt(us) (past participle of revēlāre to reveal) + -iōn- -ion
Related forms
revelational, adjective
nonrevelation, noun
prerevelation, noun
unrevelational, adjective
Synonyms
1. divulgation, admission, divulgence, exposure.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2016.
Cite This Source
Examples from the Web for revelation
Contemporary Examples
Historical Examples
British Dictionary definitions for revelation

revelation

/ˌrɛvəˈleɪʃən/
noun
1.
the act or process of disclosing something previously secret or obscure, esp something true
2.
a fact disclosed or revealed, esp in a dramatic or surprising way
3.
(Christianity)
  1. God's disclosure of his own nature and his purpose for mankind, esp through the words of human intermediaries
  2. something in which such a divine disclosure is contained, such as the Bible
Derived Forms
revelational, adjective
Word Origin
C14: from Church Latin revēlātiō from Latin revēlāre to reveal

Revelation

/ˌrɛvəˈleɪʃən/
noun
1.
(popularly, often pl) Also called the Apocalypse, the Revelation of Saint John the Divine. the last book of the New Testament, containing visionary descriptions of heaven, of conflicts between good and evil, and of the end of the world
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cite This Source
Word Origin and History for revelation
n.

c.1300, "disclosure of information to man by a divine or supernatural agency," from Old French revelacion and directly from Latin revelationem (nominative revelatio), noun of action from past participle stem of revelare "unveil, uncover, lay bare" (see reveal). General meaning "disclosure of facts" is attested from late 14c.; meaning "striking disclosure" is from 1862. As the name of the last book of the New Testament (Revelation of St. John), it is first attested late 14c. (see apocalypse); as simply Revelations, it is first recorded 1690s.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
revelation in the Bible

an uncovering, a bringing to light of that which had been previously wholly hidden or only obscurely seen. God has been pleased in various ways and at different times (Heb. 1:1) to make a supernatural revelation of himself and his purposes and plans, which, under the guidance of his Spirit, has been committed to writing. (See WORD OF GOD.) The Scriptures are not merely the "record" of revelation; they are the revelation itself in a written form, in order to the accurate presevation and propagation of the truth. Revelation and inspiration differ. Revelation is the supernatural communication of truth to the mind; inspiration (q.v.) secures to the teacher or writer infallibility in communicating that truth to others. It renders its subject the spokesman or prophet of God in such a sense that everything he asserts to be true, whether fact or doctrine or moral principle, is true, infallibly true.

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
Cite This Source

Word of the Day

Difficulty index for revelation

Many English speakers likely know this word

Word Value for revelation

13
16
Scrabble Words With Friends

Nearby words for revelation