incarnation
noun
in·car·na·tion
ˌin-(ˌ)kär-ˈnā-shən 
1
: the act of incarnating : the state of being incarnate
2
: a particular physical form or state : version
in another incarnation he might be a first vice-president—
Walter Teller
Walter TellerTV and movie incarnations of the story
3
a
: a concrete or actual form of a quality or concept
especially
: a person showing a trait or typical character to a marked degree
she is the incarnation of goodness
b(1)
capitalized
: the union of divinity with humanity in Jesus Christ
(2)
: the embodiment of a deity or spirit in some earthly form
Examples of incarnation in a Sentence
the doctrine of the Incarnation
she is the very incarnation of grace and tactfulness
Recent Examples on the Web
Nelson’s latest presents an equally intellectual history of funk music, from its West African, soul, and jazz roots to its later incarnations in disco, new wave, and hip-hop.
—Erik Morse, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2025
The Presley story here is a lot more interesting, and Spacey mostly seems to be doing an impersonation rather than an incarnation.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 17 Feb. 2025
In an earlier incarnation, the paper had been part of the state's Republican establishment and had helped lift Richard Nixon to national prominence.
—David Folkenflik, NPR, 3 Feb. 2025
The last incarnation of the Avatar born an earthbender was Kyoshi, voiced by Jennifer Hale on the first two series.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incarnation
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.
Erik Morse, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2025
The Presley story here is a lot more interesting, and Spacey mostly seems to be doing an impersonation rather than an incarnation.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 17 Feb. 2025
In an earlier incarnation, the paper had been part of the state's Republican establishment and had helped lift Richard Nixon to national prominence.
—David Folkenflik, NPR, 3 Feb. 2025
The last incarnation of the Avatar born an earthbender was Kyoshi, voiced by Jennifer Hale on the first two series.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incarnation
Cite this Entry
“Incarnation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incarnation. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
incarnation
noun
in·car·na·tion
ˌin-ˌkär-ˈnā-shən
1
: the appearance of a god or spirit in an earthly form
2
capitalized
: the union of divine and human natures in Jesus Christ
3
: an actual instance of a quality or concept
she was the incarnation of goodness
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share