The Collaborative International Dictionary
Immaculate \Im*mac"u*late\, a. [L. immaculatus; pref. im- not + maculatus, p. p. of maculare to spot, stane, fr. macula spot. See Mail armor.] Without stain or blemish; spotless; undefiled; clear; pure.
Were but my soul as pure
From other guilt as that, Heaven did not hold
One more immaculate.
--Denham.
Thou sheer, immaculate and silver fountain.
--Shak.
Immaculate conception (R. C. Ch.), the doctrine that the Virgin Mary was conceived without original sin. -- Im*mac"u*late*ly, adv. -- Im*mac"u*late*ness, n.
Wikipedia
The Immaculate Conception, according to the teaching of the Catholic Church, was the conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the womb of her mother, Saint Anne, free from original sin by virtue of the foreseen merits of her son Jesus Christ. The Catholic Church teaches that Mary was conceived by normal biological means, but God acted upon her soul (keeping her "immaculate") at the time of her conception.
The Immaculate Conception is commonly and mistakenly taken to mean the conception of Mary's son Jesus Christ in her own womb, and the Virgin Birth of Jesus. These are covered by the Doctrine of Incarnation, while the Immaculate Conception deals with the conception of Mary herself, not that of her son.
Although the belief that Mary was sinless and conceived immaculate has been widely held since Late Antiquity, the doctrine was not dogmatically defined until 1854, by Pope Pius IX in his papal bull Ineffabilis Deus. The Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8; in many Catholic countries, it is a holy day of obligation or patronal feast, and in some a national public holiday.
The Immaculate Conception was that of Mary, Jesus' mother, in her mother's womb free, according to Roman Catholic teaching, from original sin. Commonly confused with the virgin birth of Jesus.
Immaculate Conception may also refer to:
- Church of the Immaculate Conception (disambiguation), churches dedicated to the Immaculate Conception
- Feast of the Immaculate Conception, celebrates the belief in the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary celebrated on December 8
- Inmaculada Concepción (disambiguation), churches, schools and other institutions dedicated to the Immaculate Conception in Spanish
- The Immaculate Conception (novel), a novel by Gaétan Soucy
- Immaculate Conception (film), a 1992 film starring James Wilby and Melissa Leo
- Madonna (entertainer)'s 1990 greatest hits album, titled The Immaculate Collection is named after The Immaculate Conception.
The Immaculate Conception is a painting by Zurbarán conserved at the National Art Museum of Catalonia.
Immaculate Conception is a 1992 film written and directed by British director Jamil Dehlavi with James Wilby, Melissa Leo and Shabana Azmi playing the lead roles.
The film won special jury prize at the Festival of British Cinema, Dinard.
Usage examples of "immaculate conception".
Would I, for a generous sum, steal a picture of an Immaculate Conception from the Stonehouse villa?
She didn't really think it was an immaculate conception but there didn't seem to be a better explanation for her state.
For instance, the burning bush, the exodus from Egypt, the youths in the fiery furnace, Jonah and the whale are presented as parallels to the immaculate conception and the resurrection of Christ.
I did not know it then but I know now that it was the assembly of elements that represent the Immaculate Conception, for the little Virgin was crowned, stood on a crescent moon, which in its turn rested on a globe, and in the hand that did not hold the Child she carried a sceptre from which lilies sprang.
It was a pot-pourri of forgotten melodies spiced with aloes and the juice of porcupines, played sometimes in three keys at once and pivoting always like a waltzing mouse around the immaculate conception.
I hate kids, she had retorted, I had Julia by immaculate conception, and I resent any comparison to that obnoxious nit-picking bitch!