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# nativity

«nativity» in Mova's school dictionary: **the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, as told in the Gospels…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 2 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (the Nativity; a nativity, nativities)

### meaning for a pupil

1) (church, Bible) The Nativity is the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, as told in the Gospels; Christians celebrate it at Christmas. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nativity/#m1)

2) A nativity play is a play, often done by children at school or church, that tells the Christmas story. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nativity/#m2)

3) A nativity scene is a model or picture of the stable with Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, shepherds, wise men and animals. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nativity/#m3)

4) (formal) Nativity can mean anyone's birth. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nativity/#m4)

### sense in the lessons

In schools in the UK, Ireland and elsewhere, children act in the nativity play as Mary, Joseph, angels, shepherds, kings or sheep. In church, a crib or nativity scene is set up at Christmas. In art lessons, pupils study famous paintings of the Nativity. Phrases: «nativity play», «nativity scene», «the Nativity story».

### examples

- I was a shepherd in our school nativity play. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nativity/#x1)
- The nativity scene showed baby Jesus lying in a manger. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nativity/#x2)
- The Nativity is told in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nativity/#x3)
- My little brother was a sheep in the nativity and forgot to say «baa». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nativity/#x4)
- Families came to watch the children's nativity. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nativity/#x5)
- The painting shows the Nativity with angels above the stable. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nativity/#x6)

### note

Use capital N for the birth of Jesus (the Nativity) and small n for the play (a nativity). Christians believe Jesus is the Son of God born as a baby; the Nativity is part of that belief. In art, a «Nativity» is a painting of the scene.

### In the corpora

- [And Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/GEN.308/)
- [Now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy nativity.'](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/GEN.947/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «nativity» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nativity/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.