epiphany i-ˈpi-fə-nē noun
1. a moment in which something becomes more clear or understandable
2. an appearance or manifestation, especially of a divine being
3. A Christian event held annually on Jan. 6 to honor the visit to the infant Jesus Christ by three kings
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The word epiphany has appeared in 109 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Aug. 27 in “Satellites Spot Oceans Aglow With Trillions of Organisms” by William J. Broad:
Now, scientists report that ocean bioluminescence can be so intense and massive in scale that satellites orbiting five hundred miles high can see glowing mats of microorganisms as they materialize in the seas. Last month in the journal Scientific Reports, eight investigators told of finding a luminous patch south of Java in 2019 that grew to be larger than the combined areas of Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut.
“It was an epiphany,” said Steven D. Miller, lead author on the bioluminescence study and a specialist in satellite observations at Colorado State University. When a hidden wonder of nature comes to light, he added, “it captures your imagination.”
Daily Word Challenge
Can you correctly use the word epiphany in a sentence?
Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.
Then, read some of the other sentences students have submitted and use the “Recommend” button to vote for two original sentences that stand out to you.
If you want a better idea of how epiphany can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com.
If you enjoy this daily challenge, try one of our monthly vocabulary challenges.
Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.
