1
Newly disclosed fact
Information made public after being hidden.
Example
The letters contained a revelation about the expedition's funding.
revelation
/ˌrevəˈleɪʃən/ · rev-uh-LAY-shuhnnoun
A fact or insight newly revealed and made known.
Use revelation for surprising information disclosed after being hidden, unknown, or not understood.
What revelation Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Surprising discovery
A finding that changes understanding.
Example
The fossil's true age was a revelation to the research team.
3
Sudden personal insight
An unexpectedly clear realisation.
Example
Reading the diaries proved a revelation for the biographer.
Use revelation Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
The letters contained a revelation about the expedition's funding.
The fossil's true age was a revelation to the research team.
Reading the diaries proved a revelation for the biographer.
Precision Matters
Revelation overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
revelation
vs.Is the fact or discovery newly revealed.
insight
Is the deeper understanding produced from information.
revelation
vs.Makes hidden information known.
exposure
Creates contact with a condition or reveals vulnerability.
revelation
vs.Discloses something previously unknown.
conjecture
Proposes a tentative conclusion.
revelation
vs.Brings information into view.
obscure
Makes it unclear or hidden—the contrast.
Test revelation in Context
Previously hidden information changes who receives credit.
1
The newly opened archive produced a major ___: records showed that local engineers, not the celebrated architect, had designed the bridge.