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:
For a struggling burger restaurant, this was less an offer than a small miracle.
From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026
He believed the bird may have been roosting on a fishing vessel before being taken out to sea, but said it was "nothing short of a miracle" that he found the Army vessel.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Residents of hard-hit Pereira are still hoping for a miracle, but optimism is fading.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
“We have to become the miracle workers,” said Luciano, adding that in her view, the restaurants “have moved so far away from the clients.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
I told myself to put the book back on the shelf, to go back to my homework and stop thinking about the miracle orchids.
From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller
Their supporters don't expect miracles, but wanting a piece of what Bodo/Glimt, Midtjylland, Freiburg, Rayo Vallecano and others had, or still have, is not unreasonable given the spending power that Celtic have.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
Visiting international fans have rhapsodized about our hospitality and gushed over culinary miracles like ranch dressing and Philly cheesesteak while trekking to Costco like it is our version of the pyramids.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 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
AFP journalists saw devotees deliberately puncturing their skin with glass shards attached to a small wooden paddle to ensure their bleeding during the ritual, a way to atone for sins and seek miracles from God.
From Barron's ● Apr. 3, 2026
The other two miracles were later at the airport, but I don’t remember them firsthand, so here’s what my dad said when I asked him one Sunday from Oklahoma.
From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri
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.
