incarnate

1 of 2

adjective

in·​car·​nate in-ˈkär-nət  -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 2

verb

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What does carnate mean?

Carnate is synonymous with incarnate, which in simplest terms typically means "having a human body." The word was formed by shortening (removing the prefix of in- from incarnate).

What does incarnate mean in the Bible?

Incarnate means "invested with flesh or bodily nature and form, especially with human nature and form," and is applicable in many different religions in which a god takes on an animal or a human form. In Christianity the word Incarnation (which is usually capitalized) is used in the sense "the union of divinity with humanity in Jesus Christ."

What does 'evil incarnate' mean?

The sense of incarnate at work in the phrase evil incarnate is "made manifest or comprehensible." To describe someone or something as "evil incarnate" is to say that the person or thing is the embodiment of evil.

Synonyms

Verb

• body
• embody
• epitomize
• express
• externalize
• incorporate
• instantiate
• manifest
• materialize
• personalize
• personify
• substantiate

Examples of incarnate in a Sentence

Verb

the general view that Hitler incarnated extreme egotism and indeed evil itself

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

What if your seemingly innocent young child was actually evil incarnate? —Josh Bell, Vulture, 5 Apr. 2024

The ethos of Italy was incarnate in himself; and to oppose him was to invite disaster. —Foreign Affairs, 18 Dec. 2011

Verb

But—and this is the kind of question that Frye, too, was often asked—did Merrill really believe in the god who incarnated and withdrew? —John Ganz, Harper's Magazine, 22 May 2024

All of a sudden, that animalism has been incarnated. —Hunter Ingram, Variety, 25 Mar. 2024

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

Kids Definition

incarnate

1 of 2 adjective

in·​car·​nate in-ˈkär-nət 

-ˌnāt

: given bodily or actual form

the devil incarnate

a little tornado incarnate

incarnate

2 of 2 verb

in·​car·​nate in-ˈkär-ˌnāt 

ˈin-ˌkär-ˌnāt

incarnated; incarnating

: to give bodily or actual form to