divination

American  

[div-uh-ney-shuhn] / ˌdɪv əˈneɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the practice of attempting to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge by occult or supernatural means.

2. augury; prophecy.

   The divination of the high priest was fulfilled.

3. perception by intuition; instinctive foresight.

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divination British  

/ ˌdɪvɪˈneɪʃən, dɪˈvɪnətərɪ, -trɪ /

noun

1. the art, practice, or gift of discerning or discovering future events or unknown things, as though by supernatural powers

2. a prophecy

3. a presentiment or guess

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Other Word Forms

• divinatory
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of divination

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English divinacioun, from Anglo-French, from Latin dīvīnātiōn-, stem of dīvīnātiō, equivalent to dīvīnāt(us) “soothsaid” (past participle of dīvīnāre “to soothsay”; see divine) + -iō -ion

Explanation

The idea that you can see the future by supernatural means is called divination. When your friend tells your fortune by reading the tea leaves in your cup, she claims to have the power of divination. The prediction or prophecy itself that's given through the act of fortune telling is also called divination. A psychic's divination that your aunt will soon start a family is much less impressive if your aunt is obviously pregnant. You can also use divination to refer to someone's unusual intuition, like a child who seems to know by divination when someone is feeling sad or upset.

Example Sentences

Divination rituals, for example, were essentially Mesopotamian in origin and included studying the organs of sacrificed animals, consulting female soothsayers, and observing the movement of birds.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

Divination is a hard task, but someone’s gotta do it.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 28, 2022

Divination tools like tarot cards and tea leaves get called magical, but lists and mind maps can be equally magically creative.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 22, 2020

Divination professor Sybil Trelawney is one of the Potterverse’s more thankless roles, given that almost everyone finds her annoying, irritating or both.

From The Guardian • May 9, 2019

“Shall we get our Divination stuff, then?” said Harry.

From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling