visitation

[ viz-i-tey-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act of visiting.
2. a formal visit, as one permitted by a court's granting of visitation rights or by parents invited to a school to observe the work of students.
3. a visit for the purpose of making an official examination or inspection, as of a bishop to a diocese.
4. (usually initial capital letter) the visit of the Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth. Luke 1:36–56.
5. (initial capital letter) a church festival, held on July 2, in commemoration of this visit.
6. the administration of comfort or aid, or of affliction or punishment:

   a visitation of the plague.

7. an affliction or punishment, as from God.
8. the appearance or coming of a supernatural influence or spirit.

Visitation

¹

/ ˌvɪzɪˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. 1. the visit made by the Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth (Luke 1:39–56)
   2. the Church festival commemorating this, held on July 2
2. a religious order of nuns, the Order of the Visitation, founded in 1610 by St Francis of Sales and dedicated to contemplation and the cultivation of humility, gentleness, and sisterly love

visitation

²

/ ˌvɪzɪˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. an official call or visit for the purpose of inspecting or examining an institution, esp such a visit made by a bishop to his diocese
2. a visiting of punishment or reward from heaven
3. any disaster or catastrophe

   a visitation of the plague

4. an appearance or arrival of a supernatural being
5. any call or visit
6. informal.
   an unduly prolonged social call

Derived Forms

• ˌvisitˈational, adjective

Other Words From

• visit·ation·al adjective
• inter·visit·ation noun
• revis·it·ation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of visitation¹

1275–1325; < Latin vīsitātiōn- (stem of vīsitātiō ), equivalent to vīsitāt ( us ) (past participle of vīsitāre; visit, -ate ¹ ) + -iōn- -ion; replacing Middle English visitacioun < Anglo-French < Latin, as above

Example Sentences

In addition to seeking custody over her children, Mellencamp is asking the court to allocate visitation time for Arroyave.

From Los Angeles Times

He also said that he continues to know Combs, and had produced documents showing Combs's name in a prison visitation log.

From BBC

With visitation surging at national parks in recent years, site managers have come to rely on a mix of signage, social media posts and on-the-ground outreach campaigns to help keep visitors safe.

From Los Angeles Times

The efforts may be working: The number of national park search and rescue operations — which can entail anything from a child who becomes separated from their parents to a hiker who disappears in the backcountry — have ticked downward nationwide, from 5,395 in 2016 to 3,308 last year, even as visitation has continued to rise.

From Los Angeles Times

Social media is a big factor driving increased visitation to national parks, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

From Los Angeles Times