revelation
pronunciation
How to pronounce revelation in British English:
UK [ˌrevəˈleɪʃn]
How to pronounce revelation in American English:
US [ˌrevəˈleɪʃn]
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- Noun:
- the speech act of making something evident
- an enlightening or astonishing disclosure
- communication of knowledge to man by a divine or supernatural agency
Word Origin
- 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.
Example
- 1. Burton 's voracious intellectual interests are a revelation .
- 2. But the revelation has prompted a furore among ordinary investors about who is benefiting from the booming market in new listings by state-owned companies .
- 3. The floods have washed up a third revelation .
- 4. Their revelation appears unlikely to ruffle diplomatic relations .
- 5. And all these conversations followed the same arc : they began with a bad metaphor and ended with the revelation of ulterior motives .