"Reveal" vs. "revelation" as nouns

Question

I just posed this question on sci-fi.stackexchange and had my wording corrected from reveal to revelation.

I realise that to have said that too early in the film would have ruined the big reveal. Is there some in-universe reason for Palpatine to refer to Luke's father as Anakin? Some kind of psychological game that Palpatine is playing with Vader, perhaps?

I thought reveal was the correct word but I wanted to check the difference with experts.

user2683 · Accepted Answer

Reveal is used as a noun to mean a final revelation previously kept from the characters or viewers in a film or television show.

choster · Answer

Reveal is fine; in this context it is synonymous with revelation. Reveal is more commonly a verb than a noun, so this is probably a case of overcorrection; it's probably more common than alternatives like divulgence, for example.

Andrew Leach · Answer

Not only is it fine: it's in Oxford Dictionaries.

(In a film or television programme) A final revelation of information that has previously been kept from the characters or viewers:
The big reveal at the end of the movie answers all questions

Jessie · Answer

According to the OED this use of reveal as a noun was common until the 18th century, after that it was considered obsolete. But it came into use again with the predecessors of reality TV in the 1950s (think Candid Camera). I suspect it has gained in usage as an alternative to "revelation" because of the religious or connotations of the latter.

Answered by Jessie on May 4, 2021

Stephen Waterhouse · Answer

According to Merriam-Webster, the noun “reveal” means “the side of an opening (as for a window) between a frame and the outer surface of a wall,” or a door jamb. This is not what is meant today when someone mentions “the big reveal.”
The dictionary shows “revealment” as an acceptable noun meaning “the act of revealing.”
Corrected Example #2:
The amazing new fish tank was finally ready for the big revealment, so the owner was brought into the room.
Of course, the gerund “the revealing” could also be used as a noun.
Corrected Example #3:
The amazing new fish tank was finally ready for the big revealing, so the owner was brought into the room.
Using “reveal” as a noun causes Grammar Gurus like me to have “another small cow.”
https://oilpatchwriting.wordpress.com/2013/05/15/the-big-reveal/

"Reveal" vs. "revelation" as nouns

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