A revelation
Meaning
A surprising and enlightening disclosure or discovery that significantly changes understanding.
Origin
The word "revelation" bursts forth from the Latin revelatio, meaning quite literally "an uncovering" or "a laying bare." For centuries, this concept was profoundly intertwined with the divine, most famously in the biblical "Book of Revelation," where God's ultimate truths were unveiled to humanity. It was an act of profound spiritual disclosure, a momentous unmasking of secrets previously hidden. As human understanding of the world expanded beyond purely spiritual realms, the word’s power of unveiling found new applications. No longer solely reserved for the heavens, a "revelation" came to describe any sudden, startling, and often deeply personal discovery—a moment when a crucial truth, once obscured, is abruptly and undeniably brought into the light, transforming one's understanding with the force of an epiphany.
Examples
- Learning about the intricate interconnectedness of ecosystems was a revelation for the young environmentalist.
- The detective's sudden insight into the suspect's motive proved to be a revelation that cracked the entire case open.