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How Should We Use The Word “Epiphany” In A Sentence?

How Should We Use The Word “Epiphany” In A Sentence?

English is probably one of the most complex languages on earth to learn. Consequently, some parts of the language still remain a mystery. The word “Epiphany” is one such instance of a word containing an archetypal and deep meaning. So how should we use the word “Epiphany” in a sentence?

The word “epiphany” is used to communicate a moment that you’ve suddenly become conscious of or understand something of importance to you. Lots of people refer to Epiphany as an “Aha!” moment, which is a more casual way of describing what the word means. 

Epiphany – Definition

The word “Epiphany” has several meanings including, an illuminating discovery, an intuitive grasp of reality, a realization, insight, disclosure, or simply revealing a moment or scene. So an epiphany is a moment of tremendous or sudden revelation that normally changes you in a significant way.

epiphany kings follow star

The History of the “Epiphany”

The word “Epiphany” has a deep resonance for us which dates back to ancient Greece. The word itself is derived from the Greek “epiphaneia”, which means “manifestation” or “appearance”. It made reference to the revelations brought to us by the gods, as the Greeks believed.

In the capitalized form, “Epiphany” is the Christian celebration of magi or a feast celebrating the three wise men coming to Bethlehem to see baby Jesus. It is celebrated on January 6th. In the Western world’s church calendar, this starts a season of Epiphany, and it lasts through to the first day of Lent. This celebration is a season of new beginnings, following the visit of the magi. This includes readings and recounts of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist and church feast days.

“Epiphany” was first seen in the English language approximately in the 1310s. It signified the religious feast day for around 300 years, and at this time, it didn’t mean anything else. The word “epiphany” in the lowercase started being used as a way to refer to appearances of divine beings in other religions and other manifestations of Christ in the mid-1600s. The meanings and definitions of epiphany began expanding during the 19th century. Some writers that helped to broaden the definition of epiphany are Thomas De Quincey, William Wordsworth, James Joyce, and John Updike.

Examples of The Word “Epiphany”

Since the same instances of revelation take place in real or everyday life, epiphanies are not limited to literature.

Example 1:

It’s a typical day in class when Joanne trips on her shoelace and falls down. As she stands up, blushing from embarrassment, David realizes that he is actually in love with her.

While this epiphany is actually funny in its randomness, it reveals how epiphanies can occur at any moment and especially when we least expect it. In this example, David didn’t realize he was in love with Joanne when she walked gracefully, but rather when she tripped on her own shoelace and blushed.

Example 2:

Jennifer had been smoking for over a decade, and in spite of her knowing that she would be healthier if she quit and in spite of people urging her to quit, she just couldn’t do it. However, it wasn’t until she gave birth to her daughter that she had a moment of revelation and realized that she had to quit. The inspiration to quit came from her love for her daughter and wanting to be a good role model for her as well as wanting to be around for a long time to see her daughter grow up.

So this epiphany took place when Jennifer gave birth to her daughter. Consequently, this is one of the more predictable epiphanies as the moment of birth is quite an emotional time for a mother. At this moment, the mother realized that she had to change and be the best possible mother she could be.

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Related Terms

Anagnorisis

Like an epiphany, anagnorisis is a moment of revelation; however, it is a dramatic and dark element of tragedy, while epiphany can be uplifting, amusing or funny. Additionally, unlike epiphany, anagnorisis takes place gradually after an accumulation of information that has been revealed over a period of time. Epiphany can occur at any time, without necessary connection to the rest of the information or plot as if divinely inspired.

Example of Anagnorisis Versus Epiphany:

Story:

An old man has lived his life as someone greedy and driven by money.

Epiphany:

The old man comes across a dirty penny while walking down the street and picks it up, thinking that he’ll save a penny. He then notices that it is just a game token from an arcade. At that moment, he realizes that his money is to him the way that game token is in reality. It is a distraction in his life, while he should rather be focusing on the things money cannot buy, such as love and companionship.

Anagnorisis:

The old man is turning fifty and throws a fiftieth birthday party celebration for himself, which sadly is attended by no one. The following week his own daughter accuses him of being too selfish and greedy. In the same week, his wife lets him know that she wants a divorce, and he can keep all the money. At this moment, he realizes his disastrous mistake that he has lived a life where money remained his main focus instead of cultivating his relationships with his wife and children.

So as you can see from the examples above, both epiphany and anagnorisis result in a moment of revelation. But while anagnorisis takes place due to a series of events related to the person’s revelation, epiphany is due to a random occurrence.

Example Sentences with the Word ‘Epiphany”

  1. In the fifth grade, I experienced an epiphany that boys were treated differently from girls.
  2. Her everyday reports consisted of one epiphany after the other, followed by brief periods of isolation and self-doubt.
  3. In his epiphany, you’re the harbinger of all this trouble.
  4. Then, at the tender age of 19, he had his own epiphany to deal with, a first child.
  5. But how did Jack reach this epiphany, and who did Stephen base his character on?
  6. This proved to be a great epiphany to Fererro Hernandez as he was convinced that he had found a technique to assist the human mind in tapping into its true potential.
  7. Not long after experiencing his epiphany, Michael acquired his first patent and licensed his technology to additional manufacturers.
  8. His gift was the ability to seek out and capture, with grace and humanity, every little epiphany of the everyday Christian life.
  9. A ‘new Epiphany’ will not just occur by itself he quipped.
  10. An epiphany then is a showing forth of some kind.
  11. Just as I was about to fail the exam, I had an epiphany.
  12. On my thirtieth birthday, I had a huge epiphany, while standing inside a church.
  13. Being in a car accident caused me to have an epiphany about the importance of chasing my dreams.
  14. Getting sent to jail for a crime I did not commit was an epiphany that caused me to rethink my choice of friends.
  15. The atheist’s epiphany about a higher power led him to denounce atheism and become a Christian.
  16. The doctor’s warning about my health triggered the epiphany, which inspired me to stick to my weight loss goals.

january 6 wooden

Examples of “Epiphany” in Religion

  1. The Feast of the Epiphany is celebrated on 6th January.
  2. The Epiphany also marks the end of the Christmas celebration in Italy.
  3. A law passed down in 1380 forbade the faithful to be absent from church during the three weeks from the 17th December to the Epiphany.
  4. Amongst the festivals mentioned are the Epiphany, Pentecost, and Easter.
  5. The tradition of exchanging gifts in other countries on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning is normally celebrated later in Italy on Epiphany each 6th January.
  6. Christmas cakes and desserts are plentiful and served on the Epiphany to celebrate the arrival of the Kings to the manger.
  7. Like every other great record, the seeds of baptism came from personal Epiphany.
  8. It ended up being a grand farewell dinner as he and Mark left to join their regiment after Epiphany.
  9. The Epiphany is a Christian feast day that commemorates the baptism of Christ and God incarnate in human form.
  10. The celebration of Epiphany is considered a time to be spent in reverence of God Almighty.
  11. Epiphany is also a celebration of family.
  12. The season of Epiphany must be revered and looked upon with anticipation.

Conclusion

So aside from Epiphany being a Christian feast or celebration, it is also the moment of sudden realization, which in turn leads to drastic or significant life changes. Epiphanies have a way of making us feel uplifted and can also lead to some of life’s funniest moments.

Positive changes have often come from people having “Aha! Moments” or epiphanies, and this is how it has been since the beginning of time. So the next time you use the word epiphany, take note of the information and examples above to make the best possible use of this English word.