Adjacent Words

Visitation definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

VISITA'TION, n. [L. visito.]
1. The act of visiting.
Nothing but peace and gentle visitation.
2. Object of visit.
My early visitation and my last. [Unusual.]
3. In law, the act of a superior or superintending officer, who visits a corporation, college, church or other house, to examine into the manner in which it is conducted, and see that its laws and regulations are duly observed and executed. In England, the visitation of the diocese belongs to the bishop; parochial visitation belongs peculiarly to the archdeacons.
4. In Scripture, and in a religious sense, the sending of afflictions and distresses on men to punish them for their sins, or to prove them. Hence afflictions, calamities and judgments are called visitations.
What will ye do in the day of visitation? Isaiah 10.
5. Communication of divine love; exhibition of divine goodness and mercy.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: an annoying or frustrating or catastrophic event; "his mother-in-law's visits were a great trial for him"; "life is full of tribulations"; "a visitation of the plague" [syn: trial, tribulation, visitation]
2: any disaster or catastrophe; "a visitation of the plague"
3: an official visit for inspection or supervision; "the commissioner made visitations to all the precinct stations"; "the recent visitation of the bishop to his diocese"

Merriam Webster's

noun Date: 14th century 1. an instance of visiting: as a. an official visit (as for inspection) b. wake II,3 c. temporary custody of a child granted to a noncustodial parent <visitation rights> 2. a. a special dispensation of divine favor or wrath b. a severe trial ; affliction 3. capitalized the visit of the Virgin Mary to Elizabeth recounted in Luke and celebrated July 2 by a Christian feast

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 an official visit of inspection, esp. a bishop's examination of a church in his diocese. 2 trouble or difficulty regarded as a divine punishment. 3 (Visitation) a the visit of the Virgin Mary to Elizabeth related in Luke
1:39-56. b the festival commemorating this on 2 July. 4 colloq. an unduly protracted visit or social call. 5 the boarding of a vessel belonging to another State to learn its character and purpose. Phrases and idioms: right of visitation the right to conduct a visitation of a vessel, not including the right of search. Etymology: ME f. OF visitation or LL visitatio (as VISIT)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Visitation Vis`it*a"tion, n. [L. visitatio: cf. F. visitation.] 1. The act of visiting, or the state of being visited; access for inspection or examination. Nothing but peace and gentle visitation. --Shak. 2. Specifically: The act of a superior or superintending officer who, in the discharge of his office, visits a corporation, college, etc., to examine into the manner in which it is conducted, and see that its laws and regulations are duly observed and executed; as, the visitation of a diocese by a bishop. 3. The object of a visit. [Obs.] ``O flowers, . . . my early visitation and my last.'' --Milton. 4. (Internat. Law) The act of a naval commander who visits, or enters on board, a vessel belonging to another nation, for the purpose of ascertaining her character and object, but without claiming or exercising a right of searching the vessel. It is, however, usually coupled with the right of search (see under Search), visitation being used for the purpose of search. 5. Special dispensation; communication of divine favor and goodness, or, more usually, of divine wrath and vengeance; retributive calamity; retribution; judgment. What will ye do in the day of visitation? --Isa. x. 3. 6. (Eccl.) A festival in honor of the visit of the Virgin Mary to Elisabeth, mother of John the Baptist, celebrated on the second of July. The Order of the Visitation of Our Lady (R. C. Ch.), a religious community of nuns, founded at Annecy, in Savoy, in 1610, and in 1808 established in the United States. In America these nuns are devoted to the education of girls.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(visitations) 1. A visitation is an event in which God or another non-human being seems to appear to someone or contact them. The young people have claimed almost daily visitations from the Virgin Mary. N-COUNT 2. People sometimes refer humorously to a visit from someone, especially from someone in authority, as a visitation. They had another visitation from Essex police. N-COUNT 3. Visitation is the act of officially visiting someone. (FORMAL) House-to-house visitation has been carried on, under the regulations of the General Board of Health... I had visitation rights. N-UNCOUNT: usu with supp

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

viz-i-ta'-shun, vis-(pequddah; episkope): In Biblical writings, the divine investigation or inspection of men's character and deeds with a view to apportioning to them their due lot, whether of reward or of chastisement; divine dispensation of mercy or of punishment.

(1) In a general sense: "Visited after the visitation of all men" (Nu 16:29), i.e. in natural death, the usual lot of men, as opposed to a calamitous death; "She shall have fruit in the visitation of souls" (The Wisdom of Solomon 3:13 the King James Version), i.e. in the time of divine judgment. So Sirach 18:20 and perhaps 1Pe 2:12.

(2) In a good sense, of God's care, providence and mercy: "Thy visitation (the Revised Version margin "care") hath preserved my spirit" (Job 10:12). So Lu 19:44, and, according to some, 1Pe 2:12 (see above).

(3) Most frequently in an evil sense, of calamity or distress viewed as divine punishment: "What will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far?" (Isa 10:3). So Jer 8:12; 10:15; 11:23; 23:12; 46:21; 48:44; 50:27; 51:18; Ho 9:7; Mic 7:4; The Wisdom of Solomon 14:11.

D. Miall Edwards

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Dispensation (especially of retributive evil), calamity, disaster, affliction, misfortune, trial, blow, stroke, trouble, hardship, ill-luck, ill-fortune, infliction, retribution. 2. (Law.) Visiting (in order to examine), inspection.

Moby Thesaurus

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