advent

advent — noun

1. the moment when something new and significant — for example a person, technology

1.nounC1
Definition

the moment when something new and significant — for example a person, technology, or social change — first appears or starts to be used.

Example

The advent of the smartphone changed how families in Taipei keep in touch.

the advent of + noun phrase

Many farmers welcomed the advent of cheap solar panels in their villages.

subject 'farmers' + welcomed + advent

Common collocations
  • the advent of the internet
  • the advent of democracy
  • with the advent of
  • since the advent of
Synonyms
  • arrival

    neutral and everyday; 'advent' is more formal and weightier

  • emergence

    stresses gradual appearing; 'advent' marks a clear starting point

  • introduction

    more about deliberately bringing something in; 'advent' just notes its first coming

  • dawn

    metaphorical and literary, often paired with 'era'

Antonyms
  • disappearance

    the opposite of something coming into existence

  • demise

    formal; the ending of an institution or technology

Grammar Patterns

the advent of + noun

Usage Note

Almost always preceded by 'the' and followed by 'of'. Subject of the surrounding sentence usually describes a wide social change, a historical shift, or a major effect — not a small everyday event.

Common Mistakes

An advent of new buses helped the city.
The advent of new buses helped the city.
'advent' takes 'the', not 'a/an'.
I waited for the advent of my friend at the airport.
I waited for my friend to arrive at the airport.
'advent' is for big historical or social arrivals, not personal ones.

2. the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, when many Christian families and churc

2.nounB2
Definition

the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, when many Christian families and churches prepare for the holiday through prayers, songs, and special calendars.

Example

During Advent, Maria's grandmother lights one candle on the wreath every Sunday.

during Advent + ritual activity

Children at the German school open one door of their Advent calendar each morning.

compound: Advent calendar

Common collocations
  • Advent calendar
  • Advent wreath
  • first Sunday of Advent
  • during Advent
Synonyms
  • Christmastide

    a wider Christian period that includes Christmas itself; Advent ends on Christmas Eve

  • Nativity season

    less standard; emphasises the birth of Jesus rather than the waiting period

Grammar Patterns

during Advent

in Advent

Usage Note

Capitalised as 'Advent' in this sense, unlike sense 1. Often appears in fixed compounds: Advent calendar, Advent wreath, Advent Sunday. Distinguish from sense 1 by the religious-calendar context.

Common Mistakes

We celebrated advent at church.
We celebrated Advent at church.
capital A when referring to the Christian season.
Advent is the day before Christmas.
Advent is the four-week period before Christmas.
Advent is a season, not a single day.

Word family

  • adventitious
    adjectiveC2
  • Adventist
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words describe something starting to exist or be present, but they differ in scale, register, and feel. 'Arrival' is the everyday word and works for anything from a parcel to a guest. 'Advent' is formal and reserved for changes that reshape society or history — you talk about the advent of the printing press, not the advent of your cousin. 'Emergence' suggests a slow, often unplanned appearance, like the emergence of a new political party. 'Introduction' implies that someone deliberately brought the thing in: a company introduces a product. 'Dawn' is metaphorical and literary, almost always with 'era' or 'age' (the dawn of the digital age). Compare: 'the arrival of the new teacher' (everyday), 'the advent of artificial intelligence' (historic), 'the dawn of a new century' (poetic).

advent ↗arrival ↗emergence ↗introduction ↗dawn

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • with the advent of
  • since the advent of
  • before the advent of
  • the advent of modern X

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinChurch LatinOld EnglishEnglish

From Latin 'adventus', meaning 'a coming' or 'an arrival', formed from 'ad-' (to) and 'venire' (to come). The word entered Old English through Church Latin around the 12th century, first naming the religious season before Christmas. The general sense — the start of any important thing — grew out of that religious use, and by the 18th century writers were applying it to inventions, ideas, and political changes.