oracle

American  

[awr-uh-kuhl, or-] / ˈɔr ə kəl, ˈɒr- /

noun

1. (especially in ancient Greece) an utterance, often ambiguous or obscure, given by a priest or priestess at a shrine as the response of a god to an inquiry.

2. the agency or medium giving such responses.

3. a shrine or place at which such responses were given.

   the oracle of Apollo at Delphi.

4. a person who delivers authoritative, wise, or highly regarded and influential pronouncements.

5. a divine communication or revelation.

6. any person or thing serving as an agency of divine communication.

7. any utterance made or received as authoritative, extremely wise, or infallible.

8. oracles, the Scriptures.

9. the holy of holies of the Biblical Temple built by Solomon in Jerusalem.

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oracle British  

/ ˈɒrəkəl /

noun

1. a prophecy, often obscure or allegorical, revealed through the medium of a priest or priestess at the shrine of a god

2. a shrine at which an oracular god is consulted

3. an agency through which a prophecy is transmitted

4. any person or thing believed to indicate future action with infallible authority

5. a statement believed to be infallible and authoritative

6. Bible

   1. a message from God

   2. the holy of holies in the Israelite temple

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Etymology

Origin of oracle

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin ōrāculum, equivalent to ōrā(re) “to plead” + -culum diminutive noun suffix; oration, -cle ²

Example Sentences

"If implemented at scale, it could represent a milestone in the history of knowledge storage, akin to oracle bones, medieval parchment or the modern hard drive," they said.

From Barron's

Yet she’s also a protein-loading weight-lifting buff who favors all-black outfits and clear opinions, not a robed oracle speaking in riddles.

From The Wall Street Journal

Yet if Flanner was no oracle, she was also no fascist.

From The Wall Street Journal

It doesn’t take an oracle to see there just might be an opportunity in Oracle.

From Barron's

An oracle is a person, usually possessing long-earned wisdom, that can share reliable information about the future.

From Barron's