revelation

revelation — noun

1. a piece of information that was previously kept hidden and is now made known to

1.nounB2
Definition

a piece of information that was previously kept hidden and is now made known to others, or the moment when such information comes to light

Example

The diary contained shocking revelations about Quinn's childhood that no one had suspected.

revelation + about + noun phrase

Xiu's sudden revelation that she was moving to Japan took the whole team by surprise.

revelation + that-clause

Common collocations
  • shocking revelation
  • startling revelation
  • full revelation
  • bombshell revelation
  • personal revelation
  • make a revelation
  • come as a revelation
Synonyms
  • disclosure

    more neutral and formal, often used in legal or business contexts

  • bombshell

    informal and dramatic, suggesting a shocking revelation

  • exposé

    specifically refers to the revelation of wrongdoing, often after investigation

Antonyms
  • secret

    something kept hidden rather than revealed

Grammar Patterns

revelation + that-clause

revelation + about + noun

Usage Note

Frequently paired with adjectives like 'shocking', 'startling', 'bombshell' to emphasise the surprising nature of what is revealed. Can be both countable ('a revelation') and uncountable ('full revelation').

Common Mistakes

The report contained many revolutions about the case.
The report contained many revelations about the case.
'revelation' means something made known; 'revolution' means a complete change or uprising.

2. someone or something that surprises you because they turn out to be far better,

2.nounB2
Definition

someone or something that surprises you because they turn out to be far better, more impressive, or more enjoyable than you had expected

Example

The tiny bakery on the corner was a revelation — Kemi had never tasted bread so fresh.

pattern: [noun] + was a revelation

Élise disliked modern art, but the gallery visit was a complete revelation.

complete revelation — intensifier used with this sense

Common collocations
  • be a revelation
  • complete revelation
  • total revelation
  • come as a revelation
Synonyms
  • eye-opener

    more informal; can describe both pleasant and unpleasant surprises

  • epiphany

    suggests a sudden, profound insight, often intellectual or spiritual rather than merely pleasant

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

noun + is/was + a revelation

Usage Note

Almost always used in the singular pattern 'X is/was a revelation'. Unlike sense 1, this sense does not take a that-clause — you would not say 'it was a revelation that...' for this meaning. The pleasant connotation is built into the sense; adding 'pleasant' is redundant.

Common Mistakes

The movie was a complete revelation that I had never expected.
The movie was a complete revelation
I had never expected it to be so good.' — This sense does not take a that-clause; use a dash or separate sentence instead.

3. a truth, message, or piece of knowledge believed to be communicated directly fro

3.nounC1
Definition

a truth, message, or piece of knowledge believed to be communicated directly from a divine being or supernatural source to a human

Example

According to tradition, the prophet received a revelation from God while meditating in the desert.

revelation + from + divine source

Soraya sat beside her grandmother reciting the Quran and felt each verse as divine revelation.

uncountable: divine revelation as a concept

Common collocations
  • divine revelation
  • revelation from God
  • receive a revelation
  • religious revelation
  • sacred revelation
Synonyms
  • divine inspiration

    emphasises the spiritual source of the insight

  • prophecy

    specifically a revelation about future events

  • vision

    a revelation experienced as a visual image or dream

Grammar Patterns

revelation + from + noun

revelation + about + noun

Usage Note

When capitalised ('the Revelation of St John' or 'the Book of Revelation'), it refers specifically to the last book of the Christian New Testament — that is a proper-noun use, separate from the general sense described here.

Common Mistakes

He had a revelation from God about what to eat for breakfast.
He had a revelation from God about the purpose of human life.
This sense is reserved for profound spiritual truths; trivial everyday topics sound odd with this meaning.
Idioms

come as/be a revelation (to somebody)

idiom

Something that surprises someone because it is new or very different from what they expected.

The quiet student's speech came as a revelation to the whole class.

For Maya, living in a small town was a revelation after years in the city.

Word family

  • reveal
    verbB2
  • revealing
    adjectiveB2
  • revealed
    adjectiveB2
  • revelatory
    adjectiveC1
  • revealer
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Revelation, disclosure, bombshell, exposé, and unveiling all refer to making something known, but they differ in tone and context. Disclosure is the most neutral and formal term, commonly used in legal and business settings when documents or facts are officially made public. Revelation adds a sense of drama and often implies the information was deliberately concealed — it carries more emotional weight than disclosure. Bombshell is an informal, sensational word for a revelation that causes great shock or disruption. Exposé specifically refers to the public revelation of wrongdoing, typically after investigative work. Unveiling is the most concrete and visual of the group, often used for products, artworks, or plans being shown for the first time. A company might make a financial disclosure; the same information could be a revelation to investors if it was hidden; if it reveals fraud, a journalist might call it an exposé; and when a new product is finally shown, it is an unveiling.

disclosure ↗bombshell ↗exposéunveiling

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • come as a revelation
  • make a revelation
  • have a revelation
  • receive a revelation
  • full revelation

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'revelatio' (unveiling), formed from 're-' (back, again) + 'velare' (to cover, veil). The original meaning was a literal 'unveiling' or 'uncovering'. The word passed through Old French 'revelacion' before entering English. For centuries, the word carried almost exclusively religious connotations — a divine unveiling of truth. The broader secular senses, including the idea of any surprising disclosure and later the specific 'pleasant surprise' meaning, developed gradually from the 16th century onward.