incarnation

noun

in·​car·​na·​tion ˌin-(ˌ)kär-ˈnā-shən How to pronounce incarnation (audio)
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-presidentWalter Teller
TV 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
incarnational adjective

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
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.
Is there a more modern incarnation of Tantalus and his brethren? Daniel Seifert, JSTOR Daily, 5 Feb. 2025 What was modern about it is that people got seduced by a man that was an incarnation of a man very different from what they were used to seeing in society. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 4 Feb. 2025 Assassination is the latest incarnation of a project launched by Celozzi about claims that his great uncle, Chicago mob boss Sam Giancana, arranged the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Zac Ntim, Deadline, 4 Feb. 2025 Second Story, which opened in December, is the latest incarnation of the spot that was once and will likely forever be known as Mountain Charley’s. Sal Pizarro, The Mercury News, 3 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for incarnation 

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3b(2)

Time Traveler
The first known use of incarnation was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near incarnation

Cite this Entry

“Incarnation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incarnation. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

incarnation

noun
in·​car·​na·​tion ˌin-ˌkär-ˈnā-shən How to pronounce incarnation (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on incarnation

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