advent

[ad-vent]

noun

1. a coming into place, view, or being; arrival.

   the advent of the holiday season.

   Synonyms: start, commencement, beginning, onset

2. Usually Advent the coming of Christ into the world.

3. Advent, the period beginning four Sundays before Christmas, observed in commemoration of the coming of Christ into the world.

4. Usually Advent Second Coming.

Advent

¹

/ -vənt, ˈædvɛnt /

noun

1. Christianity the season including the four Sundays preceding Christmas or (in Eastern Orthodox churches) the forty days preceding Christmas

advent

²

/ ˈædvɛnt, -vənt /

noun

1. an arrival or coming, esp one which is awaited

Advent

1. The coming of Jesus, either in the Incarnation of biblical times or in the Second Coming at the end of the world. Also, a time observed in many Christian churches in December to prepare for Christmas.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Advent¹

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English, from Latin adventus “arrival, approach,” equivalent to ad- “toward” + ven- (stem of venīre “to come”) + -tus suffix of verbal action; ad-

Word History and Origins

Origin of Advent¹

C12: from Latin adventus, from advenīre , from ad- to + venīre to come

Example Sentences

For the month-long fast of Advent, Christians in medieval Europe would abstain from drink, meat and rich foods, denying themselves worldly comfort to seek God for life and sustenance.

From Salon

Candy filled Advent calendars are fun, but a traditional Advent practice before and after Christmas can deepen the experience of the holiday season.

From Los Angeles Times

“Advent is when we celebrate the narratives that give us insight into how God is entering the world,” said Jesuit Father Allan Figueroa Deck, a scholar of pastoral theology at Loyola Marymount College.

From Los Angeles Times

She has also picked up a bag of Playmobil characters for a few pounds to replicate the firm’s more costly Advent calendar for Maeve.

From BBC

Advent calendars have evolved beyond just offering a picture or a little chocolate behind each door.

From BBC

Related Words

• arrival 
• coming 
• onset 

When To Use

What is Advent season?

Advent is the season before Christmas. In many branches of Christianity, Advent consists of the period starting four Sundays before Christmas.Among Christians, Advent is typically considered a season of preparation for the celebration of Christmas that also commemorates the coming of Jesus. The word Advent can also refer to the coming of Jesus into the world (it can also refer to what’s known as Jesus’s Second Coming).Religious rituals for Advent include the lighting of candles on an Advent wreath and the decoration of Jesse trees.Although Christmas is widely celebrated in both religious and secular (nonreligious) ways, Advent is primarily a religious observance. However, Advent calendars are a popular way of marking the days until Christmas even for those who do not celebrate it in religious ways.The similar season observed in anticipation of Easter is known as Lent.