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”; divine ) + -iō -ion

Example Sentences

Muzi, a Taoist monk and sailmaker, joins the crew partway through the novel and guides the captain using divinations from the “I Ching,” something which the rest of the crew finds understandably strange.

From Los Angeles Times

The shamans, like the one seen in “Squid Game,” usually are mediators to the spirit world using divination or other rituals.

From Salon

Ancestral divination is imperative in order to get through to that, because they’re always there watching.

From New York Times

The ornate and carefully preserved drawings showcase the mysteries of medieval astrology as it intersected with medicine, divination and daily life in the Middle Ages.

From Los Angeles Times

The earliest versions of tarot decks weren’t even used as a form of divination.

From Los Angeles Times