oracle
noun
ˈär- \
Definition of oracle
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a : 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
2a : a person giving wise or authoritative decisions or opinions She became an oracle of pop culture.
b : an authoritative or wise expression or answer
Oracle
geographical name
ˈär- \
Definition of Oracle (Entry 2 of 2)
unincorporated settlement north-northeast of Tucson in southern Arizona population 3686; site of a biome research facility
Examples of oracle in a Sentence
Noun
I met her long before she had become the oracle of pop culture.Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Head Over Heels The Curran presents a musical romp featuring the music of the Go-Go’s about a royal famliy that must prevent an oracle’s prophecy of doom. — Chronicle Staff Report, San Francisco Chronicle, "Theater capsule reviews and listings, week of April 22," 19 Apr. 2018 Actress and writer Amber Tamblyn looked like an oracle late last year. — Stephanie Merry, chicagotribune.com, "Amber Tamblyn's novel about sexual assault will upset some people. She's OK with that.," 26 June 2018 Related His exit marks a stunning turn of events for a man who had become one of the oracles of the advertising business. — Suzanne Vranica, WSJ, "WPP Chief Executive Martin Sorrell, Contending With Probe, Decided to Resign," 15 Apr. 2018 The play, which begins previews at Broadway’s Hudson Theater on June 23, sets the group’s music to an Elizabethan tale about an oracle’s four prophecies that spell doom for the kingdom of Arcadia. — Melinda Newman, Billboard, "The Go-Go's on Heading to Broadway With 'Head Over Heels,' Their Legacy & Inviting Mike Pence to the Play," 27 Apr. 2018 Lej's mystical oracle, the Spirit Tree, has turned into a potty-mouthed perv, and the squad must jam a stick in its hole to stave off intergalactic ruin. — Justin Hayford, Chicago Reader, "Adventures of Spirit Force Five," 12 July 2018 But wait, there’s more: drag queen Peppermint from Ru Paul’s Drag Race comes to Broadway in this show as an oracle. — Toby Zinman, Philly.com, "Broadway Beat: Here's a summer freebie in NYC for Philly theater buffs to check out," 10 July 2018 Even trans people — the omniscient oracles for the social-justice left — can’t toe the line. — Andrew Sullivan, Daily Intelligencer, "Anthony Kennedy and the Death of True American Conservatism," 29 June 2018 Sometimes the oracle had to come from Delphi to come into the center of town to prophesize. — Jason Parham, WIRED, "How Oprah’s Network Finally Found Its Voice," 19 June 2018These 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.
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Last Updated
13 Sep 2018
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Time Traveler for oracle
The first known use of oracle was in the 15th century
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More Definitions for oracle
oracle
noun
English Language Learners Definition of oracle
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
See the full definition for oracle in the English Language Learners Dictionary
oracle
noun
\
Kids Definition of oracle
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
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