incarnate
1 of 2adjective
in·car·nate in-ˈkär-nət 
-ˌnāt
-ˌnāt 1
a
: invested with bodily and especially human nature and form
b
: made manifest or comprehensible : embodied
a fiend incarnate
2
: incarnadine
incarnate clover
incarnate
2 of 2verb
in·car·nate in-ˈkär-ˌnāt
ˈin-ˌkär-
incarnated; incarnating
transitive verb
: to make incarnate: such as
a
: to give bodily form and substance to
incarnates the devil as a serpent
b(1)
: to give a concrete or actual form to : actualize
(2)
: to constitute an embodiment or type of
no one culture incarnates every important human value
Denis Goulet
Denis Goulet
Synonyms
Verb
- body
- embody
- epitomize
- express
- externalize
- incorporate
- instantiate
- manifest
- materialize
- personalize
- personify
- substantiate
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb the general view that Hitler incarnated extreme egotism and indeed evil itself
Recent Examples on the Web Washington Post, 23 Apr. 2022 The two are joy incarnate on this song with just the right hint of something sultry. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 13 July 2020 Stymied by the opposition of New York City public works czar Robert Moses, O'Malley finally yielded to the siren song of the City of Angels -- instantly becoming the devil incarnate whom many Brooklynites despise to this day. CBS News, 8 Oct. 2017 Fresno StateSchedule: vs. Incarnate Word (9/2), at Alabama (9/9), at Washington (9/16), vs. Brigham Young (11/4)Not one but two members of last year’s College Football Playoff field? Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY, 25 Apr. 2017 Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 2 May 2022 Over time, his explanation of himself moved from prophet to Jesus Christ incarnate to God. Edmund H. Mahony, courant.com, 2 Feb. 2022 At first glance, the brothers seem to incarnate the classic western divide between wilderness and civilization, a split that films have long represented as a series of endless white-and-black hat struggles. New York Times, 30 Nov. 2021 Six-foot-1 and twice the Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year, Moore is post dominance incarnate. Nick Moyle, San Antonio Express-News, 9 Nov. 2021 Over Halloweekend, the Saturday Night Live comedian was photographed sharing a roller coaster car at an amusement park near L.A. with Kim Kardashian, fame incarnate. Jenny Singer, Glamour, 3 Nov. 2021 That this strange new arrival is actually the Lord incarnate? Mitch Albom, Detroit Free Press, 31 Oct. 2021 Her rollout was a tour de force of political action incarnate. Caroline Fraser, The New York Review of Books, 9 Apr. 2020 The Toyota Camry has long been hailed as reliability incarnate, along with the Honda Accord, the Toyota Corolla, and the Honda Civic. Steven Lang, Car and Driver, 26 July 2017 See More
Adjective
An eight-episode horror/comedy about a woman who’s hesitant to join her friends in motherhood but ends up giving birth to a baby who might be evil incarnate. Washington Post, 23 Apr. 2022 The two are joy incarnate on this song with just the right hint of something sultry. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 13 July 2020 Stymied by the opposition of New York City public works czar Robert Moses, O'Malley finally yielded to the siren song of the City of Angels -- instantly becoming the devil incarnate whom many Brooklynites despise to this day. CBS News, 8 Oct. 2017 Fresno StateSchedule: vs. Incarnate Word (9/2), at Alabama (9/9), at Washington (9/16), vs. Brigham Young (11/4)Not one but two members of last year’s College Football Playoff field? Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY, 25 Apr. 2017 Verb
Despite his affable personality and gruff coffeehouse croon, DeWyze lacked the undeniable spark and grit of Crystal Bowersox, the Janis Joplin incarnate who outrageously only placed second that season. Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 2 May 2022 Over time, his explanation of himself moved from prophet to Jesus Christ incarnate to God. Edmund H. Mahony, courant.com, 2 Feb. 2022 At first glance, the brothers seem to incarnate the classic western divide between wilderness and civilization, a split that films have long represented as a series of endless white-and-black hat struggles. New York Times, 30 Nov. 2021 Six-foot-1 and twice the Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year, Moore is post dominance incarnate. Nick Moyle, San Antonio Express-News, 9 Nov. 2021 Over Halloweekend, the Saturday Night Live comedian was photographed sharing a roller coaster car at an amusement park near L.A. with Kim Kardashian, fame incarnate. Jenny Singer, Glamour, 3 Nov. 2021 That this strange new arrival is actually the Lord incarnate? Mitch Albom, Detroit Free Press, 31 Oct. 2021 Her rollout was a tour de force of political action incarnate. Caroline Fraser, The New York Review of Books, 9 Apr. 2020 The Toyota Camry has long been hailed as reliability incarnate, along with the Honda Accord, the Toyota Corolla, and the Honda Civic. Steven Lang, Car and Driver, 26 July 2017 See More Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English incarnat, from Late Latin incarnatus, past participle of incarnare to incarnate, from Latin in- + carn-, caro flesh — more at carnal
First Known Use
Adjective
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
1533, in the meaning defined above
incarnations
noun
as in manifestations
a visible representation of something abstract (as a quality) she is the very incarnation of grace and tactfulness Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- manifestations
- avatars
- images
- icons
- personifications
- abstracts
- essences
- models
- objectifications
- reincarnations
- incorporations
- genii
- instantiations
- externalizations
- embodiments
- personalizations
- geniuses
- epitomes
- realizations
- personifiers
- souls
- actualizations
- ikons
- embodiers
- exemplifications
- paradigms
- concretizations
- archetypes
- substantiations
- patterns
- quintessences
- exemplars