Meaning & use
revelation
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Meanings
nouncountable
A surprising fact or secret that becomes known.
Grammar: Countable: a revelation, several revelations.
Patterns
- a revelation about something
- the revelation that
The newspaper's revelation about the mayor shocked the town.
The revelation that the factory was closing stunned workers.
Her diary contained several surprising revelations.
nouncountableinformal
An experience that teaches you something new and changes how you see things.
Grammar: Usually singular with a: it was a revelation.
Patterns
- be a revelation to someone
- a revelation for someone
Hiking alone was a revelation to him.
The new teacher was a revelation for the class.
Tasting fresh pasta in Italy was a revelation.
noununcountablereligion
The act of making something known, especially divine truth to people.
Grammar: Uncountable and often religious: divine revelation.
Patterns
- revelation of something
- divine revelation
Many believers trust revelation more than reason.
The prophet claimed that the message came by revelation.
The revelation of the plan took place at midnight.
Word forms
| plural | revelations |
|---|
Common combinations
- startling revelation
- The startling revelation changed the investigation.
- make a revelation
- The witness made a revelation in court.
- come as a revelation
- The taste came as a revelation to us.
- divine revelation
- Some religions rely on divine revelation.
- a revelation about
- There was a revelation about the budget.
Synonyms and how they differ
- disclosure
- Disclosure is a neutral, often official word for telling something, while revelation implies surprise.
- discovery
- Discovery stresses finding something yourself, while revelation stresses it being exposed or made clear.
- bombshell
- Bombshell is informal and suggests a shocking announcement, which is stronger than revelation.
- epiphany
- Epiphany is a sudden personal insight, while revelation can also be public news.
Opposites
Word family
- reveal verb
- to make something known
- revealing adjective
- giving away information or showing more than usual
- revelatory adjective
- surprising and informative
- revelations noun
- plural form
Commonly confused: revelation or relevance?
revelation vs relevance
Relevance means being connected to the matter at hand; revelation means a disclosure.
Practice
Which sentence uses revelation to mean a surprising fact made known?
Choose one answer.
Only the first sentence uses the noun correctly. The others misuse it as a verb or object.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “revelation”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.