visitation

[ viz-i-tey-shuhn ]
See synonyms for visitation on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the act of visiting.

  2. a formal visit, as one permitted by a court's granting of visitation rights or by parents invited to a school to observe the work of students.

  1. a visit for the purpose of making an official examination or inspection, as of a bishop to a diocese.

  2. (usually initial capital letter) the visit of the Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth. Luke 1:36–56.

  3. (initial capital letter) a church festival, held on July 2, in commemoration of this visit.

  4. the administration of comfort or aid, or of affliction or punishment: a visitation of the plague.

  5. an affliction or punishment, as from God.

  6. the appearance or coming of a supernatural influence or spirit.

Origin of visitation

1
1275–1325; <Latin vīsitātiōn- (stem of vīsitātiō), equivalent to vīsitāt(us) (past participle of vīsitāre;see visit, -ate1) + -iōn--ion; replacing Middle English visitacioun<Anglo-French <Latin, as above

Other words from visitation

  • vis·it·a·tion·al, adjective
  • in·ter·vis·it·a·tion, noun
  • re·vis·it·a·tion, noun

Words that may be confused with visitation

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use visitation in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for visitation (1 of 2)

visitation

/ (ˌvɪzɪˈteɪʃən) /


noun
  1. an official call or visit for the purpose of inspecting or examining an institution, esp such a visit made by a bishop to his diocese

  2. a visiting of punishment or reward from heaven

  1. any disaster or catastrophe: a visitation of the plague

  2. an appearance or arrival of a supernatural being

  3. any call or visit

  4. informal an unduly prolonged social call

Derived forms of visitation

  • visitational, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for Visitation (2 of 2)

Visitation

/ (ˌvɪzɪˈteɪʃən) /


noun
    • the visit made by the Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth (Luke 1:39–56)

    • the Church festival commemorating this, held on July 2

  1. a religious order of nuns, the Order of the Visitation, founded in 1610 by St Francis of Sales and dedicated to contemplation and the cultivation of humility, gentleness, and sisterly love

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