What does "hypostasis" mean?
Hypostasis: (Theol.) Substance; subsistence; essence; person; personality; -- used by the early theologians to denote any one of the three subdivisions of the Godhead, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Note: The Council of Alexandria (a.d. 362) defined hypostasis as synonymous with person. Schaff-Herzog.
Additional senses
- 2.Principle; an element; -- used by the alchemists in speaking of salt, sulphur, and mercury, which they considered as the three principles of all material bodies.
- 3.(Med.) That which is deposited at the bottom of a fluid; sediment.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00