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theophany

/θiˈɑfəni/
IPA guide

Other forms: theophanies

When someone believes she has seen a true vision of God, it can be called a theophany.

A theophany is an experience that many people hope for but few achieve: seeing an actual deity. Eastern and ancient Greek religions, as well as Christianity and Judaism, describe various types of theophanies. The Greek roots mean "god" and "appearance," and they show up in hundreds of other English words — theology, theocracy, and monotheism all come from theos, or god, and diaphanous, sycophant, and phantom come from phainein, "to show or to appear."

Definitions of theophany
  1. noun
    a visible (but not necessarily material) manifestation of a deity to a human person
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    type of:
    manifestation
    a clear appearance
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