incarnation

American  

[in-kahr-ney-shuhn] / ˌɪn kɑrˈneɪ ʃən /

noun

1. an incarnate being or form.

2. a living being embodying a deity or spirit.

3. assumption of human form or nature.

4. (sometimes lowercase) the Incarnation, the doctrine that the second person of the Trinity assumed human form in the person of Jesus Christ and is completely both God and man.

5. a person or thing regarded as embodying or exhibiting some quality, idea, or the like.

   The leading dancer is the incarnation of grace.

6. the act of incarnating.

7. state of being incarnated.

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incarnation ¹ British  

/ ˌɪnkɑːˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of manifesting or state of being manifested in bodily form, esp human form

2. a bodily form assumed by a god, etc

3. a person or thing that typifies or represents some quality, idea, etc

   the weasel is the incarnation of ferocity

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Incarnation ² British  

/ ˌɪnkɑːˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. Christian theol the assuming of a human body by the Son of God

2. Christianity the presence of God on Earth in the person of Jesus

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Incarnation Cultural  

1. The Christian belief that the Son, the second person of the Trinity, was incarnated, or made flesh, in the person of Jesus, in order to save the world from original sin (see also original sin).

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Other Word Forms

• incarnational adjective
• postincarnation adjective

Etymology

Origin of incarnation

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English incarnacion, from Late Latin incarnātiōn-, stem of incarnātiō; equivalent to incarnate + -ion

Example Sentences

Although Daisy does not have any lines in the film, the video game incarnation of her is known to be energetic and feisty.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

The collection, which includes pieces from 2005 through to 2025 - incorporating Tennant's double tenure as the doctor, and Gatwa's more recent incarnation - will be auctioned online from Tuesday, until 19 February.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2026

Enck's book traces the history of plastic: from its earliest incarnation in 1909, when Belgian chemist Leo Baekeland invented Bakelite, through the "myth" of plastic recycling promoted by industry from the mid-20th century onward.

From Barron's • Jan. 22, 2026

At the same time, its digital incarnation can be a laboratory for high-octane bets—and make placing trades on an app seem even more like a game.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 18, 2026

Except in a story Homer and Hesiod tell, that Aglaia married Hephaestus, they are not treated as separate personalities, but always together, a triple incarnation of grace and beauty.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton