revelatory

[ ri-vel-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee, rev-uh-luh- ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or having the characteristics of revelation.
2. showing or disclosing an emotion, belief, quality, or the like (usually followed by of ):

   a poem revelatory of the author's deep, personal sorrow.

Word History and Origins

Origin of revelatory¹

1880–85; < Latin revēlāt ( us ) ( revelation ) + -ory ¹

Example Sentences

As a song cycle, it’s a revelatory marvel.

From Los Angeles Times

"But it never fully manages to take flight, leaving its provocative conclusion more jarring and confusing than revelatory."

From BBC

“Most people took what the government said as the truth. This trial blew that open. In 2024, it’s hard to remember how radical and revelatory that was.”

From Los Angeles Times

For Erice, a master, cinema works as a revelatory force that can illuminate our truest feelings and yearnings, despite the efforts of some of his characters to escape their torturous pasts.

From Los Angeles Times

This revelatory letter does significantly undermine the notion put forward by the the opposition - that is, the former government - that since everyone had access to the OBR forecasts therefore the “books were open”.

From BBC

Related Words

• articulate
• artistic
• colorful
• dramatic
• eloquent
• energetic
• passionate
• poignant
• striking
• suggestive
• thoughtful
• vivid