Revelation

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌɹɛv.əˈleɪ.ʃən/

Definitions

1. A surprising disclosure of previously unknown or hidden information that changes understanding
2. A significant and often unexpected insight or disclosure that illuminates or alters perceptions of a matter
3. The act of revealing information that was previously concealed, leading to a new understanding or awareness

Etymology: The Latin verb "revelare" was built from "re," meaning "back" or "again," and "velare," meaning "to cover," so its literal sense was "to take the cover off" or "unveil." That physical image of pulling a veil away is still present in the modern noun, which describes hidden information being uncovered. The word reached English through Old French "revelacion" and appeared in Middle English as "revelacioun," with its earliest uses tied closely to religious contexts, where a divine disclosure of hidden truth was the central idea. The "re-" prefix here does not mean repetition in the way it often does in words like "rewrite." Instead it carries the sense of reversing a covering, so the root image is of something being drawn back from view. The same root gave English "veil" and "velum," the name for a thin membrane in anatomy, which shows how one ancient image of covering and uncovering spread through the language.

Synonyms: disclosure, unveiling, exposure

Antonyms: concealment, secrecy