revelation
noun
the act of revealing or disclosing; disclosure.
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revelation
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Revelation
Revelationnoun(popularly, often plural) the last book of the New Testament, containing visionary descriptions of heaven, of conflicts between good and evil, and of the end of the world
revelation
American
[rev-uh-ley-shuhn]
/ ˌrɛv əˈleɪ ʃən /
noun
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revelations
plural
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the act of revealing or disclosing; disclosure.
The revelation of previously hidden facts about the group’s activities changed the situation completely.
- Synonyms:
- exposure, divulgence, admission
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something revealed or disclosed, especially a striking disclosure, such as of something not before realized.
Her memoir contained several fascinating revelations about her love life.
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Theology.
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God's disclosure of Himself and His will to His creatures.
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an instance of such communication or disclosure.
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something thus communicated or disclosed.
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something that contains such disclosure, as the Bible.
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Also called The Revelation of St. John the Divine. Revelation. the last book in the New Testament; the Apocalypse. Rev.
revelation
1
British
/ ˌrɛvəˈleɪʃən /
noun
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the act or process of disclosing something previously secret or obscure, esp something true
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a fact disclosed or revealed, esp in a dramatic or surprising way
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Christianity
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God's disclosure of his own nature and his purpose for mankind, esp through the words of human intermediaries
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something in which such a divine disclosure is contained, such as the Bible
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Revelation
2
British
/ ˌrɛvəˈleɪʃən /
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of revelation
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English revelacion, revelacioun, from Anglo-French revelaciun, revelacioun, revelatiun, from Middle French revelacion, revelation, from Late Latin revēlātiōn- (stem of revēlātiō ), equivalent to Latin revēlā(tus) , past participle of revēlāre “to remove the cover from, unveil, lift the lid of, uncover” + -tiōn- verbal noun suffix dentoting the action of the verb; see also reveal, -tion; cf. apocalypse ( def. )
Explanation
Discovering that you had a long-lost sister would definitely be a revelation, or a surprising realization. Finding out she had been living in the house next door for years would be an even more startling revelation! It is not a surprise that the word revelation is related to the word reveal, because revealing is the action of showing something that was previously covered up or unknown. You can even use both words in the same sentence: "You might find it a revelation if someone revealed to you that your house was sitting on top of a gold mine!"
Vocabulary lists containing revelation
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 1–6
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List 5
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"The Great Gatsby," Chapter 1 Vocabulary
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Actress Lucy Davis has told fans she is "grateful" for their support as she made an appearance at a London sci-fi convention, following the recent revelation she has incurable breast cancer.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
What’s more, the histrionic grandeur she imbues the scene with overshadows the dramatic revelation that follows: the reading of the Delphic oracle’s judgment that she is indeed innocent, and Leontes is “a jealous tyrant.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
That revelation came out only after former Olympic canoeist Jeff Hearn got hit with a felony charge, apparently for picking up a piece of the pool’s peeling paint from the renovation.
From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2026
The beginning of that revelation happens for Langdon in Season 2.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Some scholars believe that his great revelation about faith came to him when he was sitting on the privy.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
Commanders and commentators may reference ancient texts, such as the Book of Ezekiel, which prophesied a war against the biblical kingdom of Israel, or the Book of Revelation.
From Salon ● Mar. 15, 2026
Revelation, God’s relation to the human, is an even more intimate shock: not a doctrine delivered, but an address, an encounter in which the “I” discovers itself summoned as a “you.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 6, 2026
After several years as a theatrical actor, Karyo saw his role in La Balance earn him a nomination for the César Award for Best Male Revelation.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2025
Mr. Kinley’s new book, “God’s Grand Finale,” details last-days events in the New Testament’s Book of Revelation.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 6, 2023
We substituted good grammar for intellect; we switched habits to simulate maturity; we rearranged lies and called it truth, seeing in the new pattern of an old idea the Revelation and the Word.
From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison
Neither attracted anything approaching the attention generated by the couple's six-part documentary series Harry & Meghan, or his revelations in Spare.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
These compromising revelations were consistent with remarks Davis had made previously to reporters.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
The following morning, on the train back to London, people could be overheard complimenting the play and discussing its big revelations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Meanwhile, New Mexico’s legislative “truth commission” released its first report on Zorro Ranch Wednesday, but the 119-page document offers little in the way of new revelations or recommendations.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
Geyer found the city transfixed by the revelations emerging from the castle.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.