Kenotic
/kɪˈnɒtɪk/noun
Relating to kenosis, especially the theological idea of Christ’s self-emptying or renunciation of divine status.
Did you know?In Christian theology, kenosis comes from Philippians 2:7, which says Christ “emptied himself” by taking human form—a concept later associated with radical humility and mystical self-renunciation.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European, proposed
PIE
*kenh₂-
“Empty or lacking; a proposed ancestral root connected with Greek kenos”
Ancient Greek
Greek
κενός (kenos)
“Empty, void, lacking, or without content”
Classical Greek
Greek
κενόω (kenoō)
“To empty, deprive, or make void”
New Testament Greek
Greek
ἐκένωσεν (ekenōsen)
“He emptied himself; the verb used in Philippians 2:7”
Late Greek
Greek
κένωσις (kenōsis)
“An emptying or self-emptying”
19th Century
English
kenotic
“Relating to kenosis or the doctrine of Christ’s self-emptying”
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