Advent

noun

Ad·​vent ˈad-ˌvent How to pronounce Advent (audio)
 chiefly British  -vənt
1
: the period beginning four Sundays before Christmas and observed by some Christians as a season of prayer and fasting
2
a
: the coming of Christ at the Incarnation (see incarnation sense 3b(1))
b
: second coming
3
not capitalized : a coming into being or use
the advent of spring
the advent of pasteurization
the advent of personal computers

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of Advent in a Sentence

with the advent of the mass-produced automobile, the need for a better system of roads and highways soon became apparent
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The fun Xmas tradition has made room for skin care, and this Molton Brown Advent Calendar will pamper your mom from head to toe. —Annie Blackman, Allure, 5 Nov. 2024 The most popular sets around the holidays and Cyber Week are Advent calendars and Lego flower bouquets. —Kasey Caminiti, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2024 Amazon has more than 40% off bath mats, jar openers, hair styling tools 2024 beauty Advent calendars are already selling out! —Kasey Caminiti, USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 2024 The retailer also did an Aqua costume jewelry Advent calendar. —Lisa Lockwood, WWD, 29 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for Advent 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Medieval Latin adventus, going back to Latin, "arrival, appearance," from adven-, variant stem of advenīre "to arrive" (from ad- ad- + venīre "to come," going back to Indo-European *gwem-i̯e-) + -tus, suffix of action nouns — more at come entry 1

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Advent was in the 12th century

Phrases Containing Advent

Dictionary Entries Near Advent

advenient

Advent

Advent Bay

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Cite this Entry

“Advent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Advent. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

advent

noun
ad·​vent
ˈad-ˌvent
1
capitalized : the season beginning four Sundays before Christmas
2
: the first appearance : arrival
the advent of spring
Etymology

Middle English advent "Christmas season," from Latin adventus (same meaning), from earlier adventus "arrival"

More from Merriam-Webster on Advent

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Advent

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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