advent
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the arrival or start of a new invention, idea, or event that changes things.
the arrival, emergence, or inception of a significant new development, technology, or era.
Simple“The advent of the internet completely changed how people shop and communicate.”
In context“The advent of jet travel in the mid-twentieth century effectively shrank the globe, making international tourism accessible to the middle class.”
UsageUsually follows the pattern 'the advent of [something]' and is almost always used with the definite article.
- 02 B1 Intermediate
the period of four weeks before Christmas in the Christian religion.
the liturgical season of the Christian church year, comprising the four weeks preceding Christmas.
Simple“The children opened a small door on their Advent calendar every morning in December.”
In context“During Advent, the cathedral choir prepares a specific repertoire of music intended to reflect the period of anticipation before the Nativity.”
UsageOften capitalized as 'Advent' when referring to the specific religious season.
Teacher's tipLearners will most commonly encounter this in the context of 'Advent calendars' or 'Advent candles'.
“And the Singapore Food Agency, which was founded in 2019, has been working hard since the advent of ‘30 by 30’ to promote local food production and local food consumption.”
“We have lived through relevant examples: The advent of calculators, computers and the internet come to mind.”
By proprialization from advent.
From Saint Adwen (Saint Adwenna).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.