NATIVITY Definition & Meaning

View synonyms for

nativity

[nuh-tiv-i-tee, ney-]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

plural

nativities

birth.
birth with reference to place or attendant circumstances.
of Irish nativity.
(initial capital letter)��the birth of Christ.
(initial capital letter)��the church festival commemorating the birth of Christ; Christmas.
(initial capital letter)��a representation of the birth of Christ, as in art.
Astrology.��a horoscope of a person's birth.

Nativity

/ ��əˈ��ɪ��ɪ��ɪ /

noun

the birth of Jesus Christ
the feast of Christmas as a commemoration of this
1. an artistic representation of the circumstances of the birth of Christ
2. ( as modifier )
  a Nativity play

nativity

/ ��əˈ��ɪ��ɪ��ɪ /

noun

birth or origin, esp in relation to the circumstances surrounding it

Nativity

The birth of Jesus, described in two of the Gospels (Matthew and Luke). When Jesus' parents, Mary and Joseph, traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem to be counted in a government census, they found that there was no room for them in the local inn. Mary gave birth to Jesus in a common stable and laid him in a manger (a feeding trough for livestock). Christians (see also Christian) believe that Jesus' birth fulfilled many Old Testament prophecies and was attended by miraculous events, such as a star above Bethlehem that drew local shepherds as well as the Wise Men, or Magi, from a distant land.

Discover More

The Nativity is celebrated at Christmas. We date our present historical era from the birth of Jesus, referring to the years before his birth as b.c. (before Christ) and the years after his birth as a.d. (anno Domini, a Latin phrase meaning “in the year of the Lord”).

Discover More

51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of nativity¹

before 1150; Middle English nativite < Middle French < Late Latin ��ī��- (stem of ��ī��; native, -ity ); replacing late Old English nativiteth < Old French nativited < Late Latin, as above

Discover More

51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of nativity¹

C14: via Old French from Late Latin ��ī��ٲ�� birth: see _native

Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

"I was seeing nativity and Christmas scenes everywhere in this town. And all the trees had turned into plastic. The hallucinations were phenomenal, crazy," she said.

From

Ms Hooper, who has taught at Cokethorpe for 24 years, said Pugh performed the nativity in a Yorkshire accent: "I'm not sure where that came from at the time, but she was just brilliant."

From

"The resources for the nativity play never arrived," she said.

From

"The hustle, the bustle, a hive of activity. Not the typical scene of your Christmas nativity," Oldman reads.

From

Instead of having a candy-filled calendar, some Latino families will create an extended nativity scene at the beginning of Advent with the wise men placed far away in the room, González-Andrieu said.

From

Related 51�Թ�s

beginning��
childbirth��
creation��
delivery��

Discover More

When To Use

What does��nativity mean?

Nativity refers to the birth of Jesus, the central figure of the religion of Christianity.Christians celebrate the Nativity during Christmas, and the word is sometimes used as another name for Christmas.Nativity can also be used to refer to an artistic depiction of the birth of Jesus, such as in a play (also called a Nativity play) or a scene involving statues of the figures at the birth (also called a Nativity scene). In all of these uses, the word is usually capitalized.The word nativity is also used in some more general ways, though they are less common. It can simply mean a birth, especially in relation to the circumstances of it. It can also be used to refer to a person’s birthplace, as in Zoe often mentions her Greek nativity. More specifically, in the context of astrology, one’s nativity is the horoscope of their birth.Example: Every year at Christmas we create a live Nativity in our front yard, with our dog playing the part of a sheep.

nativist natl.

Browse