augury

noun

au·​gu·​ry ˈȯ-gyə-rē 

-gə-

plural auguries

1

: divination from auspices (see auspice sense 3) or omens

Ancient augury involved the interpretation of the flight patterns of birds.

also : an instance of this

2

: omen, portent

" … the best augury of a man's success in his profession is that he thinks it the finest in the world."

—George Eliot

Synonyms

• auguring
• bodement
• cast
• forecast
• forecasting
• foretelling
• predicting
• prediction
• presaging
• prognosis
• prognostic
• prognosticating
• prognostication
• prophecy
• prophesy
• soothsaying
• vaticination

Examples of augury in a Sentence

a yearbook augury that of all the graduates, he would be the most likely to succeed

some people believe that a broken mirror is an augury of seven years' bad luck

Recent Examples on the Web

Despite these auguries of Sylvester’s moral and psychological well-being, the fact remains he is broke. —Timothy Crouse, Rolling Stone, 9 June 2025

If EVs are any augury, America’s days at technology’s vanguard might be numbered. —Charlie Campbell, Time, 29 May 2025

These signs seem to confirm Sahm’s augury that the economy remains healthy. —David Thomas, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024

The auguries were not favorable for a Pétain acquittal. —Robert O. Paxton, Harper's Magazine, 17 Dec. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Middle English augurie, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French augorrye, augurrie, borrowed from Latin augurium "divination by an augur, art of divination, omen, portent," from augur augur entry 1 + -ium, suffix of function or state

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for augury

• demagoguery

Kids Definition

augury

noun

au·​gu·​ry ˈȯ-gyə-rē 

-gə-

plural auguries

1

: predicting the future especially from omens

2

: a sign of the future : omen