Visitation
[vɪzɪ'teɪʃ(ə)n] or ['vɪzə'teʃən]
Definition
(noun.) 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'.
(noun.) any disaster or catastrophe; 'a visitation of the plague'.
Typed by Katie--From WordNet
Definition
(n.) The act of visiting, or the state of being visited; access for inspection or examination.
(n.) 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.
(n.) The object of a visit.
(n.) 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.
(n.) Special dispensation; communication of divine favor and goodness, or, more usually, of divine wrath and vengeance; retributive calamity; retribution; judgment.
(n.) A festival in honor of the visit of the Virgin Mary to Elisabeth, mother of John the Baptist, celebrated on the second of July.
Inputed by Dennis
Synonyms and Synonymous
n. [1]. Dispensation (especially of retributive evil), calamity, disaster, affliction, misfortune, trial, blow, stroke, trouble, hardship, ill luck, ill fortune.[2]. (Law.) Visiting (in order to examine), inspection.
Editor: Sharon
Examples
- We all observed the visitation of these feelings, and none regretted them so much as Perdita. Mary Shelley. The Last Man.
- Its streets were blocked up with snow--the few passengers seemed palsied, and frozen by the ungenial visitation of winter. Mary Shelley. The Last Man.
- Madame bore this revelation and visitation so well, so stoically, that I for very shame could not support it otherwise than with composure. Charlotte Bronte. Villette.
- It was the peculiar and dreadful distinction of our visitation, that none who had been attacked by the pestilence had recovered. Mary Shelley. The Last Man.
- Slumber's visitation was long averted. Charlotte Bronte. Shirley.
- Incredulous crowds watched this visitation from the outer world, marching through the streets. H. G. Wells. The Outline of History_Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind.
- He received them with the interest and wonder so strange a visitation created. Mary Shelley. The Last Man.
- But the Lord forbid that I should repine under any visitation. Charles Dickens. Little Dorrit.
- It is an awful visitation. George Eliot. Middlemarch.
- She was constantly complaining of the cold, and of its occasioning a visitation in her back which she called 'the creeps'. Charles Dickens. David Copperfield.
- Most things are 'visitation of God. George Eliot. Middlemarch.
- I filled the interval in walking softly about my room, and pondering the visitation which had given my plans their present bent. Charlotte Bronte. Jane Eyre.
- We talked of the ravages made last year by pestilence in every quarter of the world; and of the dreadful consequences of a second visitation. Mary Shelley. The Last Man.
- I could not disentangle all that was about me, and I felt as if the blame and the shame were all in me, and the visitation had come down. Charles Dickens. Bleak House.
- So the Visitation of God ruled it that he and I should meet. Wilkie Collins. The Woman in White.
- John having stooped down to receive these punishing visitations, Bella asked him, would it be necessary to move soon? Charles Dickens. Our Mutual Friend.
Edited by Cheryl