Delphic
Americanadjective
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of or relating to Delphi.
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of or relating to Apollo, or to his temples or oracles.
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(often lowercase) oracular; obscure; ambiguous.
She was known for her Delphic pronouncements.
adjective
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of or relating to Delphi or its oracle or temple
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obscure or ambiguous
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of Delphic
1590–1600; < Latin Delphicus < Greek Delphikós, equivalent to Delph ( oí ) Delphi + -ikos -ic
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.
Called “The Four Sibyls,” the frescoes depict the female seers of ancient Greek and Roman mythology, including the Roman, Cumaean, Erythraean and Delphic sibyls.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2025
Pythagoras himself was said to have been inspired to study philosophy by the Delphic priestess Themistoclea.
From Textbooks • Jun. 15, 2022
In doing so, Oedipus had, however inadvertently, fulfilled the first part of a previous Delphic prophecy: that he would kill his father and marry his mother.
From Salon • Apr. 17, 2020
“Wily and ruthless, Delphic and adept, he is the best of breed of a new kind of back room bonze,” the profile continued, using another word for Buddhist monk.
From Washington Post • Nov. 13, 2019
He must go to the Taurian country, the Delphic priestess said, and bring away the sacred image of Artemis from her temple.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
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.
