miracle
Americannoun
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miracles
plural
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an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause.
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such an effect or event manifesting or considered as a work of God.
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a wonder; marvel.
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a wonderful or surpassing example of some quality.
a miracle of modern acoustics.
noun
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an event that is contrary to the established laws of nature and attributed to a supernatural cause
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any amazing or wonderful event
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a person or thing that is a marvellous example of something
the bridge was a miracle of engineering
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short for miracle play
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(modifier) being or seeming a miracle
a miracle cure
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of miracle
First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English miracle, miracul, from Old French miracle, from Latin mīrāculum, from mīrā(rī) “to wonder at” + -culum -cle 2
Explanation
A miracle is an event so marvelous that it seems like it was sent from above. Catching that foul ball from the stands at the World Series? A miracle! Miracle, a noun meaning “amazing or wonderful occurrence," comes from the Latin miraculum “object of wonder." Dig way back and the word derives from smeiros, meaning "to smile," which is exactly what you do when a miracle happens. To quote the American-French author Anais Nin, “The dream was always running ahead of me. To catch up, to live for a moment in unison with it, that was the miracle.” Just ask any rock star.
Vocabulary lists containing miracle
It's Lit: Hanukkah Words
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The Circuit
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"The Flying Machine" by Ray Bradbury
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In some sense, it is a miracle that the party survived, though it has held on in a deeply diminished fashion.
From Slate ● Sep. 18, 2026
It will take a miracle to get the best out off the dross we have.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
In a culture of aggregation and AI summary, the stiffest original thinking still feels as supple as a tone poem, and genuine intellectual ambition akin to a secular miracle.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
“It’s not a miracle drug, but this was by far the best option I could find,” he said at the time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026
It was like a miracle, though she must have been forty.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
He probably needs to perform miracles in Las Vegas but it will be fascinating to follow his progress.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
Sometimes miracles happen, or leaders drag their regimes in a different direction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
Asked how Reform would perform in local government he said: "We all know the finances of local councils are severely stretched - we are not promising miracles but we are promising value for money."
From BBC ● May 8, 2026
AUGUSTA, Ga.—With Rory McIlroy holding a historic lead before the third round of the Masters, Shane Lowry needed a pair of miracles to work his way into contention.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 12, 2026
“Many people have said that. But miracles happen all the time.”
From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
