oracle

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noun or·a·cle \ ˈȯr-ə-kəl , ˈär- \

Definition of oracle

1 a :a person (such as a priestess of ancient Greece) through whom a deity is believed to speak

the prophecies of the Delphic oracle
—D. F. Marks

b :a shrine in which a deity reveals hidden knowledge or the divine purpose through such a person

c :an answer or decision given by an oracle

ambiguous oracles

2 a :a person giving wise or authoritative decisions or opinions

She became an oracle of pop culture.

b :an authoritative or wise expression or answer

See oracle defined for English-language learners

See oracle defined for kids

Examples of oracle in a Sentence

I met her long before she had become the oracle of pop culture.

Recent Examples of oracle from the Web

Maybe it’s also because of the oracle character’s usefulness as a narrative device, an easy way to close plot holes.

— spencer kornhaber, The Atlantic, "Bran Stark and the Problem of Omniscience," 29 Aug. 2017
Huntress, Malinda Lo Lo’s books spin intricate stories of ancient China, fantastic universes, and oracle-decreed destinies.

— julia carpenter, Vogue, "The Future of Queer Women’s Representation? Look for the YA Section," 7 Aug. 2017
When everything goes pear-shaped, Amrita becomes a fugitive, on the run with an oracle and former slave of Sikander named Thala.

— katie ward beim-esche, The Christian Science Monitor, "'The Library of Fates' has clever mythology, delicious language," 28 July 2017
Note: Anyone who doubts the existence of oracles has not spent enough time on a stool at the Maple Leaf Bar.

— doug maccash, NOLA.com, "Mid-Summer Mardi Gras parade launches early this year," 27 July 2017
In recent years, research into oracles bones, used to divine the future during China’s Shang dynasty, has fizzled out.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "Museum Offers $15,000 Per Character to Decipher Oracle Bone Script," 26 July 2017
Beginning around the 16th century B.C., Chinese star-gazers attempted to read the skies and foretell natural events using oracle bones.

— maya wei-haas, Smithsonian, "How Eclipse Anxiety Helped Lay the Foundation For Modern Astronomy," 11 July 2017
After 17 years at the company, Reid has earned a reputation as a customer oracle with an uncanny ability to predict users' wants and needs, according to those who work for her.

— carmel deamicis, Marie Claire, "Meet the Women Behind Amazon's Alexa," 26 June 2017
In his speech, Landrieu said city leaders can be oracles for the nation, bold truth-tellers in describing the effects of federal policies advanced by both parties.

— janell ross, Washington Post, "Mitch Landrieu: Mayors must ‘fight to occupy the radical center’," 26 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'oracle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of oracle

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin oraculum, from orare to speak — more at oration

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

Other Religion (Eastern and Other) Terms

Zen, antinomian, avatar, gnosticism, illuminati, ineffable, karma, koan, mantra

Oracle

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geographical name Or·a·cle \ ˈȯr-ə-kəl , ˈär- \

Definition of Oracle

unincorporated settlement north-northeast of Tucson in southern Arizona population 3686; site of a biome research facility

ORACLE Defined for English Language Learners

oracle

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noun

Definition of oracle for English Language Learners

in ancient Greece : a person (such as a priestess) through whom a god was believed to speak
: the place (such as a shrine) where people went to ask questions of an oracle
: an answer or message given by an oracle

ORACLE Defined for Kids

oracle

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noun or·a·cle \ ˈȯr-ə-kəl \

Definition of oracle for Students

1 :a person (as a priestess in ancient Greece) through whom a god is believed to speak

2 :the place where a god speaks through a person

3 :an answer given by a person through whom a god speaks

Learn More about oracle

See words that rhyme with oracle Spanish Central: Translation of oracle Nglish: Translation of oracle for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of oracle for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about oracle

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