Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

occultation

/ˌɑkəlˈteɪʃ(ə)n/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.06 in modern English

Syllables
oc-cul-ta-tion
IPA
/ˌɑkəlˈteɪʃ(ə)n/
15
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
4
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An astronomical event that occurs when one celestial object is hidden by another celestial object that passes between it and the observer when the nearer object appears larger and completely hides the more distant object.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

The state of being occult (“hidden, undetected”).

Countable; Uncountable

noun

The disappearance of the Twelfth Imam, or Mahdi, who is believed alive and present in this world, but hidden until his reappearance at the end of time.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Latin occultātiōnem, accusative singular of occultātiō (“concealment; insinuation”), from occultāre, present active infinitive of occultō (“to conceal, hide”); analysable as occult + -ation.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˌɑkəlˈteɪʃ(ə)n/
  • British English: /ˌɒkəlˈteɪʃ(ə)n/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

deoccultation nonoccultation preoccultation

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Questions

How do you pronounce occultation?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˌɑkəlˈteɪʃ(ə)n/.
What does occultation mean?
An astronomical event that occurs when one celestial object is hidden by another celestial object that passes between it and the observer when the nearer object appears larger and completely hides the more distant object.
Where does occultation come from?
It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce occultation

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “occultation”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌɑkəlˈteɪʃ(ə)n/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “occultation”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “occultation” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.