name · noun · 14 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/ˌɪŋ.kɑːˈneɪ.ʃən/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:/ˌɪŋ.kɑɹˈneɪ.ʃən/
rhymes with -eɪʃən
CMU ARPABET:IH2 N K AA1 R N EY1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
name
Meaning 1
The doctrine that the second person of the Trinity assumed human form in the person of Jesus Christ and is fully divine and fully human.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: Christianity
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
An incarnate being or form.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A version or iteration (of something).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A living being embodying a deity or spirit.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: avatar
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
An assumption of human form or nature.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
A person or thing regarded as embodying or exhibiting some quality, idea, or the like.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
The leading dancer is the incarnation of grace.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: embodiment, instantiation, realization
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
The act of incarnating.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
The state of being incarnated.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
noun
Meaning 9
A rosy or red colour; flesh (the colour); carnation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
10
noun
Meaning 10
The process of healing wounds and filling the part with new flesh; granulation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable
Topics: medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
11
noun
Meaning 11
the act of attributing human characteristics to abstract ideas etc.
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: personification
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: embodiment
12
noun
Meaning 12
(Christianity) the Christian doctrine of the union of God and man in the person of Jesus Christ
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: religious doctrine, church doctrine, gospel, creed
13
noun
Meaning 13
a new personification of a familiar idea
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the embodiment of hope
the incarnation of evil
the very avatar of cunning
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: embodiment, avatar
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: personification
Narrower terms: deification, reincarnation
14
noun
Meaning 14
time passed in a particular bodily form
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
he believes that his life will be better in his next incarnation
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: time
History
Etymology
From Middle English incarnacion, borrowed from Old French incarnacion, from Medieval Latin, Ecclesiastical Latin incarnatio, from Late Latin incarnari (“to be made flesh”).
Across languages
Translations
99 source translations are retained for this English entry.
French:
incarnation
— doctrine that the second person of the Trinity assumed human form in the person of Jesus Christ and is fully divine and fully human
Polish:
Wcielenie
— doctrine that the second person of the Trinity assumed human form in the person of Jesus Christ and is fully divine and fully human
Arabic:
الحُلُول
(al-ḥulūl)
— incarnate being or form
Belarusian:
увасабле́нне
(uvasabljénnje)
— incarnate being or form
Bulgarian:
въплъще́ние
(vǎplǎšténie)
— incarnate being or form
Bulgarian:
олицетворе́ние
(olicetvorénie)
— incarnate being or form
Catalan:
encarnació
— incarnate being or form
Chinese Mandarin:
化身
(huàshēn)
— incarnate being or form
Czech:
ztělesnění
— incarnate being or form
Finnish:
ruumiillistuma
— incarnate being or form
Finnish:
inkarnaatio
— incarnate being or form
French:
incarnation
— incarnate being or form
German:
Verkörperung
— incarnate being or form
Greek:
ενσάρκωση
(ensárkosi)
— incarnate being or form
Gujarati:
અવતાર
(avatār)
— incarnate being or form
Hindi:
अवतार
(avtār)
— incarnate being or form
Hungarian:
megtestesülés
— incarnate being or form
Hungarian:
inkarnáció
— incarnate being or form
Indonesian:
inkarnasi
— incarnate being or form
Italian:
incarnazione
— incarnate being or form
Japanese:
化身
(keshin)
— incarnate being or form
Korean:
화신
(hwasin)
— incarnate being or form
Macedonian:
олицетворение
(olicetvorenie)
— incarnate being or form
Macedonian:
отелотворение
(otelotvorenie)
— incarnate being or form
Malayalam:
അവതാരം
(avatāraṁ)
— incarnate being or form
Marathi:
अवतार
(avtār)
— incarnate being or form
Norwegian:
inkarnasjon
— incarnate being or form
Polish:
wcielenie
— incarnate being or form
Polish:
uosobienie
— incarnate being or form
Polish:
inkarnacja
— incarnate being or form
Portuguese:
encarnação
— incarnate being or form
Russian:
воплоще́ние
(voploščénije)
— incarnate being or form
Russian:
олицетворе́ние
(olicetvorénije)
— incarnate being or form
Serbo-Croatian:
утеловље́ње
— incarnate being or form
Serbo-Croatian:
утјеловље́ње
— incarnate being or form
Serbo-Croatian:
оваплоће́ње
— incarnate being or form
Serbo-Croatian:
utelovljénje
— incarnate being or form
Serbo-Croatian:
utjelovljénje
— incarnate being or form
Serbo-Croatian:
ovaploćénje
— incarnate being or form
Slovak:
stelesnenie
— incarnate being or form
Slovene:
utelešenje
— incarnate being or form
Spanish:
encarnación
— incarnate being or form
Swedish:
inkarnation
— incarnate being or form
Tagalog:
pagkakatawang-tao
— incarnate being or form
Ukrainian:
вті́лення
(vtílennja)
— incarnate being or form
Ukrainian:
уосо́блення
(uosóblennja)
— incarnate being or form
Arabic:
الحُلُول
(al-ḥulūl)
— living being embodying a deity or spirit
Bulgarian:
въплъщение
(vǎplǎštenie)
— living being embodying a deity or spirit
Catalan:
encarnació
— living being embodying a deity or spirit
Czech:
vtělení
— living being embodying a deity or spirit
Finnish:
ruumiillistuma
— living being embodying a deity or spirit
Finnish:
henkilöitymä
— living being embodying a deity or spirit
French:
incarnation
— living being embodying a deity or spirit
Greek:
ενσάρκωση
(ensárkosi)
— living being embodying a deity or spirit
Hebrew:
התגלמות
— living being embodying a deity or spirit
Malayalam:
അവതാരം
(avatāraṁ)
— living being embodying a deity or spirit
Russian:
воплоще́ние
(voploščénije)
— living being embodying a deity or spirit
Arabic:
التَّجَسُّد
(at-tajassud)
— assumption of human form or nature
Arabic:
التَّأَنُّس
(at-taʔannus)
— assumption of human form or nature
Catalan:
encarnació
— assumption of human form or nature
Finnish:
ruumiillistuma
— assumption of human form or nature
Finnish:
henkilöitymä
— assumption of human form or nature
Greek:
ενσάρκωση
(ensárkosi)
— assumption of human form or nature
Macedonian:
отелотворување
(otelotvoruvanje)
— assumption of human form or nature
Russian:
воплоще́ние
(voploščénije)
— assumption of human form or nature
Sikkimese:
སྐྱེ་བ
(skye ba)
— assumption of human form or nature
Swedish:
människoblivande
— assumption of human form or nature
Swedish:
mandomsanammelse
— assumption of human form or nature
Swedish:
inkarnation
— assumption of human form or nature
Belarusian:
увасабле́нне
(uvasabljénnje)
— person or thing regarded as embodying or exhibiting some quality, idea, or the like
Bulgarian:
въплъще́ние
(vǎplǎšténie)
— person or thing regarded as embodying or exhibiting some quality, idea, or the like
Bulgarian:
олицетворе́ние
(olicetvorénie)
— person or thing regarded as embodying or exhibiting some quality, idea, or the like
Catalan:
encarnació
— person or thing regarded as embodying or exhibiting some quality, idea, or the like
Czech:
vtělení
— person or thing regarded as embodying or exhibiting some quality, idea, or the like
Finnish:
ruumiillistuma
— person or thing regarded as embodying or exhibiting some quality, idea, or the like
Finnish:
ilmentymä
— person or thing regarded as embodying or exhibiting some quality, idea, or the like
French:
incarnation
— person or thing regarded as embodying or exhibiting some quality, idea, or the like
Greek:
ενσάρκωση
(ensárkosi)
— person or thing regarded as embodying or exhibiting some quality, idea, or the like
Hungarian:
megtestesítő
— person or thing regarded as embodying or exhibiting some quality, idea, or the like
Hungarian:
megtestesült
— person or thing regarded as embodying or exhibiting some quality, idea, or the like
Hungarian:
két lábon járó
— person or thing regarded as embodying or exhibiting some quality, idea, or the like
Malayalam:
അവതാരം
(avatāraṁ)
— person or thing regarded as embodying or exhibiting some quality, idea, or the like
Russian:
воплоще́ние
(voploščénije)
— person or thing regarded as embodying or exhibiting some quality, idea, or the like
Russian:
олицетворе́ние
(olicetvorénije)
— person or thing regarded as embodying or exhibiting some quality, idea, or the like
Ukrainian:
уосо́блення
(uosóblennja)
— person or thing regarded as embodying or exhibiting some quality, idea, or the like
Ukrainian:
вті́лення
(vtílennja)
— person or thing regarded as embodying or exhibiting some quality, idea, or the like
Bulgarian:
въплъщаване
(vǎplǎštavane)
— act of incarnating
Catalan:
encarnació
— act of incarnating
Finnish:
ruumiillistaminen
— act of incarnating
Finnish:
inkarnointi
— act of incarnating
Greek:
ενσάρκωση
(ensárkosi)
— act of incarnating
Hungarian:
megtestesülés
— act of incarnating
Old English:
ġeflǣsċnes
— act of incarnating
Russian:
воплоще́ние
(voploščénije)
— act of incarnating
Catalan:
encarnació
— state of being incarnated
Finnish:
ruumiillistuminen
— state of being incarnated
Finnish:
inkarnoituminen
— state of being incarnated
Greek:
ενσάρκωση
(ensárkosi)
— state of being incarnated
Russian:
воплоще́ние
(voploščénije)
— state of being incarnated
