incarnation

Everyday

1. (church) The Incarnation is the Christian belief that God the Son became a human being, Jesus, born of Mary. tree →
2. A person or thing that shows a quality perfectly: «She is the incarnation of kindness.» tree →
3. One of the lives or forms of someone or something: «in a past incarnation», «the latest incarnation of the phone». tree →
4. (Hindu belief) A form in which a god appears on earth, such as Krishna as an incarnation (avatar) of Vishnu. tree →

In the lessons

In religion lessons, Christmas celebrates the Incarnation: Christians believe «the Word became flesh». In Hinduism avatars are incarnations of gods. In everyday speech «a past incarnation» jokes about someone's earlier job or life. Phrases: «the Incarnation», «the incarnation of evil», «in a former incarnation».

Examples

• At Christmas Christians celebrate the Incarnation. tree →
• Christians believe Jesus is God's incarnation as a man. tree →
• Hindus see Krishna as an incarnation of Vishnu. tree →
• The villain was the incarnation of evil. tree →
• In a past incarnation, our teacher was a chef. tree →
• This is the newest incarnation of the game. tree →
• No wonder Brer Rabbit is so 'cute: he is nothing less than an incarnation of Buddha. tree →

Note

Capital I for the Christian belief. Adjective: incarnate («the devil incarnate», «God incarnate»). From Latin «in carne», in the flesh. Related: reincarnation (being born again in a new body).