oracular
Americanadjective
-
of the nature of, resembling, or suggesting an oracle.
an oracular response.
- Synonyms:
- prophetic
-
giving forth utterances or decisions as if by special inspiration or authority.
- Synonyms:
- dogmatic, authoritative
-
uttered or delivered as if divinely inspired or infallible; sententious.
-
ambiguous; obscure.
- Synonyms:
- equivocal
-
portentous; ominous.
adjective
-
of or relating to an oracle
Apollo had his oracular shrine at Delphi
-
wise and prophetic
an oracular political thriller
-
mysterious or ambiguous
Other Word Forms
- oracularity noun
- oracularly adverb
- oracularness noun
Etymology
Origin of oracular
First recorded in 1625–35; from Latin ōrācul(um) oracle + -ar 1
Explanation
Something that's oracular is giving off an oracle-like vibe: mysterious, enigmatic, prophetic and probably a little weird. Oracular in the simplest terms is an adjective that means "resembling an oracle." Ancient oracles were thought to be mystic people that had some direct connection with the gods, like ancient Greece's famous Oracle at Delphi. There the oracle would sit over an open fissure in the rocks, inhaling strange fumes and speaking in oracular gibberish that had to be "interpreted" by a priest. Sounds like you might have better luck with a palm reader.
Vocabulary lists containing oracular
100 SAT words Beginning with "O"
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This Week In Culture: August 30–September 4, 2020
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The Tower of Nero
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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.
Ancient, patriarchal and oracular, Tennyson was not merely the poet laureate of England; he was, like his queen, a symbol of the British Empire.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026
The identity of the oracular, or exceedingly well-informed, account holder is not known.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 5, 2026
In Suntory, the oracular power of Dudamel’s “Rite” proved outright shock therapy.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 29, 2025
The court likes to tell the story about itself that it’s oracular and humble and nonpartisan.
From Slate • Jun. 2, 2025
After the long, torchlit approach, walking straight into the gaze of the snarling deity, mysterious bellows reverberating off the stone, the oracular declamation from above must have been spine-chilling.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
