incarnation

[in-kahr-ney-shuhn]

noun

1. an incarnate being or form.

2. a living being embodying a deity or spirit.

3. assumption of human form or nature.

4. (sometimes lowercase),  the Incarnation, the doctrine that the second person of the Trinity assumed human form in the person of Jesus Christ and is completely both God and man.

5. a person or thing regarded as embodying or exhibiting some quality, idea, or the like.

   The leading dancer is the incarnation of grace.

6. the act of incarnating.

7. state of being incarnated.

incarnation

¹

/ ˌɪnkɑːˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of manifesting or state of being manifested in bodily form, esp human form

2. a bodily form assumed by a god, etc

3. a person or thing that typifies or represents some quality, idea, etc

   the weasel is the incarnation of ferocity

Incarnation

²

/ ˌɪnkɑːˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. Christian theol the assuming of a human body by the Son of God

2. Christianity the presence of God on Earth in the person of Jesus

Incarnation

1. The Christian belief that the Son, the second person of the Trinity, was incarnated, or made flesh, in the person of Jesus, in order to save the world from original sin (see also original sin).

Other Word Forms

• incarnational adjective
• postincarnation adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of incarnation¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English incarnacion, from Late Latin incarnātiōn-, stem of incarnātiō; equivalent to incarnate + -ion

Example Sentences

Home to the centuries-old temple to Manjunatha Swamy - an incarnation of Shiva from the Hindu holy trinity - the town attracts thousands of pilgrims daily and is central to the fabric of local people's lives.

From BBC

Previous incarnations to the Tea app, such as 'Are We Dating the Same Guy' social media groups with thousands of followers, have existed for years globally.

From BBC

It was initially given to several individuals each year, but last year it transformed into its current incarnation, honoring a single person who chooses the “pay-it-forward” grant recipient.

From Los Angeles Times

Its former incarnation Twitter was accused of leaning left, now X leans unashamedly to the right in terms of the content that gets the most visibility.

From BBC

The current incarnation of Dodger ownership is not your grandfather’s Dodgers.

From Los Angeles Times