Delphic oracle

American  

noun

1. the oracle of Apollo at Delphi, noted for giving ambiguous answers.

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Delphic oracle British  

noun

1. the oracle of Apollo at Delphi that gave answers held by the ancient Greeks to be of great authority but also noted for their ambiguity

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Delphic oracle Cultural  

1. The most famous oracle in Greece, and the location of a temple of Apollo; it was also known as the oracle of Delphi. At the oracle, a priestess went into a trance, supposedly breathed vapors from a cleft in the rocks, and delivered messages from Apollo to persons who sought her advice. These messages were often difficult to interpret.

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Example Sentences

He had left his home, Corinth, where he was held to be the son of the King, Polybus, and the reason for his self-exile was another Delphic oracle.

From Literature

She writes his “poem” down with the fervor of a Delphic oracle, a devotee of the boy’s talent that she believes no one else understands.

From The Guardian

But he treats three blow-dried talking heads sitting on a couch in Manhattan as Delphic oracles.

From Washington Post

Oedipus learned, when consulting the Delphic oracle, that he was destined to kill his father and marry his mother.

From The Wall Street Journal

The unreasoned decrees carry the feel of messages from the Delphic oracle, announcing truth without elaboration, but they have quite tangible effects on who is allowed into the country and who is not.

From Economist