Annunciations

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act of formally announcing or proclaiming something, often for important messages or events; a declaration made to inform people about significant occurrences or decisions; the conveyance of news or information, especially related to an official or ceremonial context
2. The process of communicating messages clearly and formally, usually for public announcements or declarations; delivering important information intended for a wide audience or community; conveying significant updates or changes, especially in a religious or formal setting
3. A series of formal declarations or announcements regarding events or information, often with a ceremonial significance; the act of publicly proclaiming news or changes that require attention; delivering vital details meant to inform and alert a community or audience

Etymology: The plural "annunciations" is the form of "annunciation," which English took in the Middle Ages from Latin "annuntiatio," a noun built on "annuntiare," "to announce" or "to report." The Old French "anonciacion" reached English alongside it, so the word arrived by two routes at once. The word's most famous sense is religious. In Christian usage, "the Annunciation" is the announcement by the angel Gabriel to Mary that she would bear Jesus, and paintings of that scene are often titled simply "Annunciation." Because such images were so common, many readers today meet the plural mainly in art-historical contexts, though the general sense of a formal public announcement remains the primary meaning of the plural.

Synonyms: proclamations, declarations