oracle

[ awr-uh-kuhl, or- ]

/ ˈɔr ə kəl, ˈɒr- /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for oracle on Thesaurus.com

noun

(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.

the agency or medium giving such responses.

a shrine or place at which such responses were given: the oracle of Apollo at Delphi.

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

a divine communication or revelation.

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

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

oracles, the Scriptures.

the holy of holies of the Temple built by Solomon in Jerusalem. 1 Kings 6:16, 19–23.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "IS" VS. "ARE"

"Is" it time for a new quiz? "Are" you ready? Then prove your excellent skills on using "is" vs. "are."

Question 1 of 7

IS and ARE are both forms of which verb?

have

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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; see oration, -cle²

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH oracle

auricle, oracle

Words nearby oracle

or, ora, ORAC, orach, orache, oracle, oracle bones, oracles, oracular, oracy, orad

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use oracle in a sentence

For that matter most of us would plug our ears if an oracle promised to tell us the day we will die.
It’s Not Irrational to Party Like It’s 1999 - Issue 108: Change|Steven Pinker|November 17, 2021|Nautilus
This neurobiological oracle, not deterministic but rather probabilistic, warns about potential dangers and opportunities, providing guidance on decisions to be made.
Why We Can't Ignore Our Dreams|Sidarta Ribeiro|October 18, 2021|Time
Vents built into the stone structure, in addition to providing fresh air, may have given the oracle at Chavín a highly engineered voice “worthy of the Wizard of Oz” when the shell trumpets were played inside them.
The human history found inside a seashell|Katharine Norbury|July 30, 2021|Washington Post
Her very first sculpture, a metallic chrome unicorn aptly titled “Space Oracle,” sits on a pedestal directly in front.
The Tiniest Jackson Pollock|Justin Jones|November 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST

And, anyway, what would it take to be a Samuel Gompers at Microsoft, Facebook, Oracle, Amazon, or Google?
Up To a Point: Robber Barons Make Way For Robber Nerds|P. J. O’Rourke|August 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A Brit by birth, the eight-armed oracle was born in Weymouth, England, in 2008 at the Sea Life Centre.
The Amazing Tale of Paul the Psychic Octopus: Germany’s World Cup Soothsayer|Emily Shire|July 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Just this week, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison said Apple was adrift without Steve Jobs.
Carl Icahn’s Tweets Send Apple Stock Above $500|William O’Connor|August 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The move will take place on July 15 as software giant Oracle leaves for the New York Stock Exchange.
Tesla Stock Added to NASDAQ 100 Index|Edward Ferguson|July 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The latter is a square-faced practical man, who is looked up to as a species of oracle by all his friends.
Hunting the Lions|R.M. Ballantyne
The League Oracle admits that "a repeal would injure the farmer, but not so much as he fears."
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
An oracle said that he would not succeed in its erection before a man voluntarily offered himself as a sacrifice.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer
There were in Greece two young rakes, who were told by the oracle to beware of the melampygos or sable posteriors.
A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 1 (of 10)|Franois-Marie Arouet (AKA Voltaire)
It is plain that there are more ways than one of explaining such an oracle.
A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 1 (of 10)|Franois-Marie Arouet (AKA Voltaire)

British Dictionary definitions for oracle

oracle

/ (ˈɒrəkəl) /

noun

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

a shrine at which an oracular god is consulted

an agency through which a prophecy is transmitted

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

a statement believed to be infallible and authoritative

Bible

a message from God
the holy of holies in the Israelite temple

Word Origin for oracle

C14: via Old French from Latin ōrāculum, from ōrāre to request

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

oracle

Origin of oracle

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH oracle

Words nearby oracle

Words related to oracle

How to use oracle in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for oracle

Word Origin for oracle