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augury

noun

ˈȯ-gyə-rē How to pronounce augury (audio)
Definition of augurynext
1
as in prediction
a declaration that something will happen in the future a yearbook augury that of all the graduates, he would be the most likely to succeed

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2
as in omen
something believed to be a sign or warning of a future event some people believe that a broken mirror is an augury of seven years' bad luck

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3
as in divination
the art or practice of foretelling future events by interpreting omens the gift of augury that Nostradamus purportedly possessed

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of augury Dream books offered augury, poetry, and purpose—a kind of secular scripture for the numbers game. — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 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 Advertisement Remarkably, Kushner’s augury of a world coming apart holds true three decades later, including his prognostications about the dangers of climate change and the radical partisanship of the judiciary. — Peter Marks, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2023 See All Example Sentences for augury
Recent Examples of Synonyms for augury
  1. prediction
  2. omen
  3. divination
  4. forecasting
  5. forerunner
  6. forecast
  7. portent
  8. predicting
Noun
  • Here are previews and predictions for districts involving Fort Worth-area teams.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Sep. 2026
  • For decades, astronomers studying the surroundings of the Milky Way have determined there are too few dwarf satellite galaxies orbiting our own galaxy when compared to predictions made by the standard model of cosmology.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of prediction
Noun
  • While the particularly large number of closing colleges in Vermont may seem a bad omen for an effort to open a new one, Holcombe said experiencing the problem has made the state that much more focused on it.
    — Jon Marcus, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Hopefully that is not an omen for a wildly inflated price on the top models.
    — Janhoi McGregor, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of omen
Noun
  • Kylie’s divinations lead her to a small English town called Thornfield.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Other common practices among Druids include the celebration of seasonal festivals, meditation, and divination.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of divination
Noun
  • Now, Lee’s forecasting that AI will unleash more radical changes inside the world’s companies than most CEOs expect — and this could reshape the competition between those two economies once again.
    — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Emphasizing this approach could also lead to better forecasting, early warnings and planning that takes climate change into account to protect people in vulnerable regions around the world.
    — Tarun Gopalakrishnan, The Conversation, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of forecasting
Noun
  • Dubbed the ‘American Turtle’ for its appearance, the submarine made three attempts to blow up British ships without success, but is considered the forerunner of modern submarines.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Margaret and Alice are the forerunners of Lucy and Ethel, and Shakespeare’s comedy, written expressly to entertain, gives us a sense of what an Elizabethan-era situation comedy might look like.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
Definition of forerunner
Noun
  • Pantone grouped 20 of the new shades into four trend palettes demonstrating how its forecast for bolder color can take several markedly different forms.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The rainout alters those plans, particularly with Wednesday’s forecast in Omaha putting that game in question, too.
    — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of forecast
Noun
  • Another way to see the Wasian moment is less as a portent of Asians being absorbed into whiteness and more as evidence of the desire to not allow that to happen.
    — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026
  • His mode of reiteration and attenuation is an ominous portent for the future of fiction.
    — David Denby, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of portent
Noun
  • With the 2025 college football season on the horizon, months of previewing and predicting soon will be in the rearview mirror.
    — Quentin Corpuel, Kansas City Star, 8 Aug. 2025
Definition of predicting

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augurs
augury
august
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Cite this Entry

“Augury.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/augury. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on augury

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about augury

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