oracular
adjective
Did you know?
When the ancient Greeks had questions or problems, they would turn to the gods for answers by consulting an oracle. The word oracle has several meanings. It can refer to the god's answer, to the shrine that worshippers approached when seeking advice, or to the person through whom the god communicated, usually in the form of cryptic verse. The words oracular and oracle trace back to the Latin verb orare, which means "to speak." Today, oracle can simply mean an authoritative pronouncement or a person who makes such pronouncements—for example, "a designer who is an oracle of fashion." The related adjective oracular is used in similar contexts: "a designer who is the oracular voice of fashion."
Example Sentences
Anna Leahy, Washington Post, 9 Sep. 2022 There are oracular moments when their covert scheming about media manipulation and societal fracture darkly foreshadows our current political miasma. Sam Sacks, WSJ, 2 Sep. 2022 Philosophy, especially the oracular writing of Ludwig Wittgenstein, provides additional support. Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 30 June 2022 In Naturalis historia, for example, Pliny describes sacred eels, adorned with jewelry, that were said to have oracular powers. Alana Mohamed, The Atlantic, 27 June 2022 These lectures were must-attend events, packed by students expecting to be dazzled by the oracular insights of professorial sages. Jeffrey Collins, WSJ, 18 Mar. 2022 More recent events sent me back to the novel itself, and to a new respect for Lewis’ percipience about Americans’ vulnerability to the blandishments of political charlatans, and about his oracular vision of how a fascist takeover would unfold. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2021 Morton describes the origin of Hyperobjects as oracular. Laura Hudson, Wired, 16 Nov. 2021 Before long, the treatment transforms Robin into an almost oracular figure, a social-media activist devoted to protecting the earth against mankind. The New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2021 See More Word History
Latin oraculum
1631, in the meaning defined at sense 1
oracular
adjective
Synonyms & Similar Words
- prophetic
- portentous
- sinister
- apocalyptic
- foreboding
- baleful
- predictive
- prophetical
- menacing
- millenarian
- apocalyptical
- revelatory
- threatening
- dire
- telling
- inauspicious
- unpromising
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- promising
- rosy
- auspicious
- propitious
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of oracular are dictatorial, doctrinaire, dogmatic, and magisterial. While all these words mean "imposing one's will or opinions on others," oracular implies the manner of one who delivers opinions in cryptic phrases or with pompous dogmatism.
The meanings of dictatorial and oracular largely overlap; however, dictatorial stresses autocratic, high-handed methods and a domineering manner.
Although the words doctrinaire and oracular have much in common, doctrinaire implies a disposition to follow abstract theories in framing laws or policies affecting people.
The words dogmatic and oracular can be used in similar contexts, but dogmatic implies being unduly and offensively positive in laying down principles and expressing opinions.
The synonyms magisterial and oracular are sometimes interchangeable, but magisterial stresses assumption or use of prerogatives appropriate to a magistrate or schoolmaster in forcing acceptance of one's opinions.
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